Treatment of proximal hamstring tendinopathy with active release technique in collegiate track athletes: A case series

It is imperative that healthcare professionals implement evidence-based practice into their professional practice to provide the best patient-centered care. Evidence-based practice is a systematic approach to making decisions about patient care that includes patients’ preferences and values, clinical expertise acquired through clinical experience and practice, and relevant research evidence in making decisions about patient care. A common challenging condition for clinicians to treat is a chronic injury. Proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) is a common chronic condition among running athletes that is often characterized by pain in the upper hamstring or buttocks during repetitive activities. Proximal hamstring tendinopathy is typically treated non-operatively and includes activity modifications, pain modulating modalities, rehabilitative exercises to increase flexibility and strength, and corticosteroid or plasma rich protein injections. Active release technique (ART) has emerged as a manual therapy technique for improving pain and dysfunction associated with chronic, overuse conditions, including tendinopathies. Therefore, a theoretical basis exists to support the use of ART in the treatment of PHT, but patient outcomes have not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to describe pain and functional outcomes of three patients with PHT treated with ART