Effects of Hold-Relax and Muscle Energy Techniques for Hamstring Flexibility

Riphah International University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Child Development

Treatments: Other: Hold-Relax Technique; Other: Muscle Energy Technique

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06198036

REC/RCR&AHS/23/0733

Details and patient eligibility

About

The most important aspect of physical fitness is flexibility, which can be greatly impacted by bad posture. Long periods of sitting in school going children can cause the hamstring muscles to shorten because they bend the knee. There are numerous methods for improving hamstring flexibility, but very few of them produce immediate results. The purpose of this study will be to compare between the immediate effects of hold-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and muscle energy technique (MET) for hamstring flexibility in school going children. This will be the randomized clinical trial in which total time of six month will be utilized after the approval from BASR. Data will be collected from Unique Science School Al-Rehman Campus, Lahore. 106 participants will be taken with 05-12 years of age through purposive sampling technique. Participants will be divided into two equal groups. Participants in group A will be given hold-relax PNF and the group B will underwent METs (reciprocal inhibition). Hamstring ROM will be assessed through AKET. Measurements will be taken by goniometer. Wong-Baker faces pain scale (WBFPS) and Timed 'Up and Go' (TUG) test will be used to evaluate pain and functional mobility respectively. Data will be analyzed on SPSS version 25. Results after statistical analysis will show which technique is more effective and will have best outcomes.

Full description

The most important aspect of physical fitness is flexibility, which can be greatly impacted by bad posture that might occur from a sedentary lifestyle of a person and a reduction in the soft tissues' flexibility cause serious musculoskeletal injuries. Long periods of sitting in school going children can cause the hamstring muscles to shorten because they bend the knee. There are numerous methods for improving hamstring flexibility, but very few of them produce immediate results. The literature demonstrated that the two most successful stretching methods to compare were hold-relax and MET but there is paucity to determine their immediate effectiveness.

The purpose of this study will be to compare between the immediate effects of hold-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and muscle energy technique (MET) for hamstring flexibility in school going children and to determine which strategy improves hamstring flexibility in school-aged children the fastest and with the best results. This will be the randomized clinical trial in which total time of six month will be utilized after the approval from BASR. Data will be collected from Unique Science School Al-Rehman Campus, Lahore. 106 participants will be taken with 05-12 years of age through purposive sampling technique. Participants will be divided into two equal groups. Participants in group A will be given hold-relax PNF and the group B will underwent METs (reciprocal inhibition). Hamstring ROM will be assessed through AKET. Measurements will be taken by goniometer. Wong-Baker faces pain scale (WBFPS) and Timed 'Up and Go' (TUG) test will be used to evaluate pain and functional mobility respectively. Data will be analyzed on SPSS version 25. Results after statistical analysis will show which technique is more effective and will have best outcomes

Enrollment: 116 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 12 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 5-12 years children
• Gender (both male and female)
• Normal children
• Hamstring tightness (minimum degree <160 degrees

Exclusion Criteria

• Regular athletes
• Past pathology
• Post fracture of limb
• Leg length discrepancy
• History of spinal cord injury
• Presence of physical deformities
• Subject not willing to participate
• Subject using lower limb prosthesis or orthotic device

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

116 participants in 2 patient groups

Group A: Application of Hold-Relax PNF Technique

Active Comparator group

Description:

A hold-relax technique that entails stretching the muscle to its maximum length. Participant will be in supine position. The hamstring muscle will be stretched for 7 to 10 seconds while the individual reported only a slight stretch in the muscle. The participant then attempts to lower his leg towards the table while being resisted by the researcher, isometrically contracting his hamstring muscle for 3 seconds. The patient then instructed to relax for five seconds. The researcher then passively stretched the muscle until a slight sensation of stretch was experienced. The stretch will maintain for seven seconds. There were five repetitions of this sequence, each one 20 seconds apart from the previous one

Treatment:

Other: Hold-Relax Technique

Group B: Application of Muscle Energy Technique

Active Comparator group

Description:

Group B will receive a Muscle Energy Technique (MET) applying the reciprocal inhibition principle. Participant will be in supine lying and the affected muscle held in a mid-range position. The Reciprocal Inhibition-MET group stretched for 10 to 60 seconds after performing an isometric contraction of the muscle opposite the one that needed to be stretched for 7 to 10 seconds (30%-50% of the time) followed by 5 second rest interval. With a pause of 20 seconds in between each repetition, this sequence was performed five times(52). The readings for Active knee Extension (AKE), TUG test and WBFPS before and after treatment session determined the improvement regarding the treatment outcomes.

Treatment:

Other: Muscle Energy Technique