Effects of Active Release Technique on Hamstrings Flexibility in Patients having Chronic Low Back Pain

BACKGROUND- Low back pain (LBP) is among the leading cause of occupational injury and disability in both developed and developing countries. Among all these factors the hamstring tightness was found to be one of the leading causes for development of LBP. Active Release Technique (ART) restores soft tissue structures that feel strained or inflexible to their original healthy condition. There are no studies done to find out the effect of ART on hamstrings flexibility and LBP. Hence there is a need for the study to find out the effectiveness of this technique on hamstrings flexibility in chronic LBP patients. METHODOLOGY Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board.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 modifies oswestry disability index was done. They all were given ART, isometric back exercises& hot pack to back. RESULTS The findings of the present study are 10 sessions of ART reduces the hamstrings tightness on right side (t=2.560, p=0.023), mean hamstrings tightness (t=2.486, p=0.026), pain at activity (t=5.88, pless than0.001)& functional disability (Z=-3.411, pless than0.001) CONCLUSION Active Release Technique (ART) improves hamstrings flexibility and reduce LBP and disability over time.