In this article, I'll discuss how to stretch your hamstrings efficiently.
Do you do any stretching?
The hamstring area is one of the most difficult to stretch, but how do you stretch it?
Do you lie on your back and raise your legs with your knees extended?
How do you stretch them?
There are many theories on how to stretch, and different people teach slightly different methods.There are many theories on how to stretch, and different teachers teach different methods. Here is a study on the best way to stretch.
Contents of the study
The hamstrings play a major role in posture, and shortening or overstraining of the hamstrings can affect posture and cause musculoskeletal pain.
The aim of the study was to develop a new approach to improve hamstring flexibility in young adults.
The single-blind randomized clinical trial included 60 participants aged 18-24 years, recruited from Hashemite University in Zarqa, Jordan.
Range of motion in knee extension was measured by flexing the hip 90° using a simple goniometer to detect the level of hamstring flexibility.
Participants received either passive hamstring stretching (PS) followed by two sets of 10 tibial neurodynamic techniques (ND), or PS followed by three sets of 10 repetitions of active knee extension-quadriceps activation (QA), or PS only.
Results showed that there was a significant improvement in hamstring flexibility in the QA group compared to the PS group. (13.4 ± 12.1° vs. 6.2 ± 6.4°, p = 0.05)
In the PS group, it was 6.2±6.4 (30.5±10.8° vs. 36.6±9.5°, p = 0.001).
9.3 ± 6.2 (26.7 ± 10.9° vs. 36.0 ± 9.5°, p = 0.001) for the ND group.
In the QA group, the results were 13.4 ± 12.1 (20.3 ± 9.0° vs. 33.4 ± 8.9°, p = 0.001).
The results were as follows.
Considerations
Passive hamstring stretch
The participant was placed in a supine position, hip flexed 90°, and stretched by the therapist to the maximum level of passive knee extension allowed.
The stretching was sustained for 30 seconds/time.
・Tibial nerve neurodynamic technique after PS
The participant was placed in the supine position, PS was performed, and the hips were made to bend.
Next, a sliding glide mechanism was applied to the tibial nerve, and repetitive ankle dorsiflexion with abduction was performed in synchronization with knee flexion-extension.
The ankle and knee positions were manipulated to glide the tibial nerve, which was performed at 10 repetitions/2 sets.
・Activation of the quadriceps muscle after PS
After the participants underwent PS, participants were asked to actively extend the knee joint while the hip joint was flexed 90°.
Dynamic knee extension was performed in sets of 10 repetitions/3 sets.
Activating the quadriceps and practicing stretching were the ones that resulted in different hamstring extension when compared to when they were not.
This may be due to the mutual inhibition effect.
Mutual inhibition occurs via the spinal primitive reflex arc when the antagonist muscle relaxes in response to the activation of the agonist muscle.
Thus, there was more inhibition of the antagonist muscle (hamstring) in the group that had quadriceps activation compared to the group that received only passive stretching.
Since no significant difference was obtained between PS only and hamstring stretching practiced with PS, ND, the conclusion of this study alone is that the stretching is better when PS is performed and the quadriceps is activated.
This is a method that is easy to use in clinical practice, so I want to try it! This is a method that I would like to use, but medical professionals who like to "feel like they know" such as ND may be practicing it.
Alshammari F, Alzoghbieh E, Abu Kabar M, Hawamdeh M. A novel approach to improve hamstring flexibility: A single-blinded randomised clinical trial. Afr J Physiother. 2019;75(1):465. published 2019 Apr 23. doi:10.4102/sajp.v75i1.465
Summary
This is the best way to stretch the hamstrings. The best way to stretch hamstrings was suggested.It is different from self-stretching because it is passive, so therapists may find it helpful.
If you are struggling with hamstring stiffness, please try it.
