COMPARISON OF EFFECTIVENESS OF POST FACILITATION STRETCHING AND AGONIST CONTRACT-RELAX TECHNIQUE ON TIGHT HAMSTRINGS

Background: Flexibility is an important component of physical conditioning programs. The most common factor limiting flexibility at a joint is the inability of a muscle to stretch to its maximum required length during movement. The hamstring muscles are the most commonly involved muscular injury and it is mainly due to lack of stretching. Various stretching techniques are used in clinical practice including PNF and MET, but no research has compared post facilitation stretching with agonist contract-relax technique. Objective: The purpose of the study was to find out the effectiveness of post facilitation stretching and agonist contract-relax technique on hamstring muscle tightness and to compare the effectiveness between these two methods. Methods: 50 subjects with tight hamstring muscles were randomly divided in to two groups of 25 each. Group I: Undergone post facilitation stretching technique. Group II: Undergone agonist contract-relax technique. After 6 weeks outcome was measured in terms of knee extension range of motion using digital inclinometer and the results were compared. Results: The results of the study show that both groups produce a significant increase in range of motion. Patients in Group I showed increase in knee range of motion, with a mean of 15.20 (SD 1.7078) Patients in Group II showed increase in knee range of motion, with a mean of 7.04 (SD 1.2410) But Group I produced a significant increase than the Group II when compared between groups (P+.001) Conclusion: It is concluded that as post facilitation stretching achieved a significant increase in range, it could be the choice of technique in clinical practice to increase flexibility