A study of two stretching techniques for improving hip flexion range of motion

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of a spinal (suboccipital) stretching technique and a peripheral stretching technique. Design: Clinical cohort study. Setting: Macquarie University Centre for Chiropractic Outpatient Clinic Method: A reliable hand-held dynamometer was used to determine the end point of range of motion (ROM) before and after the application of a treatment. Three groups of subjects were treated: cervical stretch, hip stretch and sham/placebo: ROM of the hip in flexion (straight leg raise) was used as the independent variable. Sample: Sixty randomly allocated university students aged between 18 and 35 yr. Results: The two stretching treatments resulted in increased flexion ROM at the hip. Statistical analysis revealed that only the suboccipital stretching procedure increased hip flexion ROM significantly. Conclusion: Manual therapy of the neck may have a role to play in the treatment of extraspinal; lower-limb musculoskeletal conditions.