DYNAMIC OSCILLATORY STRETCHING EFFICACY ON HAMSTRING EXTENSIBILITY AND STRETCH TOLERANCE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Static stretch (SS), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), and oscillatory mobilization techniques enhance range of motion (ROM).
• Dynamic oscillatory stretching (DOS) combines these methods but its effect on hamstring extensibility is unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of dynamic oscillatory stretching (DOS) versus static stretching (SS) in improving hamstring extensibility and stretch tolerance.
• To evaluate the immediate and short-term effects of these interventions in asymptomatic young adults.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 60 participants (20 per group: SS, DOS, placebo control).
• Measurements included passive straight leg raise (SLR) for hamstring extensibility and visual analogue scale (VAS) for stretch tolerance.
• Interventions were applied, and tests were repeated immediately and one hour post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Both SS and DOS significantly improved hamstring extensibility immediately post-intervention, with DOS showing a greater increase (94° vs. 86°).
• One hour post-intervention, hamstring extensibility remained elevated in the DOS group (89°) but returned to baseline in the SS group (80°).
• Stretch tolerance increased significantly with SS (5.9 AU) but not with DOS (4.3 AU) compared to controls (4.6 AU).

Conclusions:

• Dynamic oscillatory stretching (DOS) is more effective than static stretching (SS) for immediate gains in hamstring extensibility.
• DOS provides a more sustained improvement in hamstring extensibility one hour after the intervention compared to SS.