Immediate effects of lumbar fascia stretching on hamstring flexibility: A randomized clinical trial

The hamstring muscles have a great tendency to decrease their extensibility, a phenomenon that presents a distinct clinical entity called short hamstring syndrome (SHS), in addition to problems with adjacent structures.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the immediate effect of lumbar fascia stretching on the flexibility of the hamstring musculature.

A randomized controlled trial was carried out. Forty-one women between 18 and 39 years old were divided into two groups: the experimental group received a technique of fascial stretching in the lumbar area while the control group participated in a magnetotherapy machine that was turned off. Hamstring flexibility in both lower limbs was measured by the straight leg raising test (SLR) and the passive knee extension test (PKE).

The results showed statistically significant improvements (p< 0.05) in the SLR and the PKE for both groups. There was a large effect size (Cohen's d) for both tests. There was a statistically significant correlation between the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the SLR.

The inclusion of lumbar fascia stretching might be an effective part of a treatment protocol to increase the flexibility of the hamstring muscle observing an immediate result in healthy participants.