Effect of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching (Modified Hold-Relax) on Hamstring Flexibility In subjects Having Chronic Low Back Pain

Low back pain (LBP) is among the leading cause of occupational injury and disability in both developed and developing countries. Sedentary life style is associated with obesity as well as muscle shortening, which in turn is linked to chronic health problems. Among all these factors the hamstring tightness was found to be one of the leading causes for development of LBP. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF Modified hold-relax) works on Autogenic inhibition to improve the hamstrings flexibility.15 subjects were taken in the study. Measurement of the severity of pain by using VAS, degree of hamstrings tightness by active knee extension test and functional disability by modified oswestry disability index was done. The main findings of the present study were that 10 sessions of PNF significantly reduce mean hamstrings tightness (t=4.821, p