Background: Limitations in hip flexion caused by tight hamstrings lead to excessive lumbar flexion and low back pain. Accordingly, many studies have examined how to stretch the hamstring muscle. However, no study has focused on the effect of hamstring eccentric exercise for tight hamstrings on trunk forward bending. Objects: We compared the short-term effect of hamstring eccentric exercise (HEE) and hamstring static stretching (HSS) on trunk forward bending in individuals with tight hamstrings. Methods: Thirty individuals with tight hamstrings participated in the study. The subjects were randomly allocated to either a HEE or HSS group. To determine whether the hamstrings were tight, the active knee extension (AKE) test was performed, and the degree of hip flexion was measured. To assess trunk forward bending, subjects performed the fingertip to floor (FTF) and modified modified Schober tests, and the degree of trunk forward bending was measured using an inclinometer. We used paired t-tests to compare the values before and after exercise in each group and independent t-tests to compare the two groups on various measures Results: The FTF test results were improved significantly after the exercise in both groups, and AKE for both legs increased significantly in both groups. There was no significant difference in the hip angles, mmS test results, or degree of trunk forward bending between groups after the exercise. No test results differed significantly between the two groups at baseline or after the exercise. Both groups increased hamstring flexibility and trunk forward bending. Conclusion: HSS and the HEE groups increased hamstring flexibility and trunk forward bending. However, HEE has additional benefits, such as injury prevention and muscle strengthening.

Background: Flexion-relaxation phenomenon (FRP) was a term which refers to a sudden onset of myoelectric silence in the erector spinae muscles of the back during standing full forward flexion. Hamstring muscle length may be related to specific pelvic and trunk movements. Many studies have been done on the FRP of the erector spinae muscles. However, no studies have yet investigated the influence of hamstring muscle flexibility on the FRP of the hamstring muscle and lumbopelvic kinematics during forward bending. Objects: The purpose of this study was to examine the flexion-relaxation ratio (FRR) of the hamstring muscles and lumbopelvic kinematics and compare them during forward bending in subjects with different hamstring muscle flexibility. Methods: The subjects of two different groups were recruited using the active knee extension test. Group 1-consisted of 13 subjects who had a popliteal angle under 30°; Group 2-consisted of 13 subjects who had a popliteal angel above 50°. The kinematic parameters during the trunk bending task were recorded using a motion analysis system and the FRRs of the hamstring muscles were calculated. Differences between the groups were identified with an independent t-test. Results: The subjects with greater hamstring length had significantly less lumbar spine flexion movement and more pelvic flexion movement. The subjects with greater pelvic flexion movement had a higher rate of flexion relaxation during full trunk bending (p<.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that differences in hamstring muscle flexibility might cause changes in people’s hamstring muscle activity and lumbopelvic kinematics.

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of manual facilitation and a stick on lumbar and hip joint flexion angles in subject with lumbar flexion syndrome during forward bending from a sitting position. Fifteen subjects with lumbar flexion syndrome were recruited for this study. As a pretest, all subjects performed three repetitions of bending the trunk forward until the tips of their fingers touched the target bar. After this pretest, the subjects practiced the forward bending of the trunk 10 times, using either manual facilitation or a stick. Then, as a posttest, all subjects repeated the pretest procedure. The flexion angles of lumbar spine and hip joint during forward bending in a sitting position were measured using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. A paired t-test was used to determine the statistical differences between pre-test and post-test flexion angles and pre- and post-test flexion angle differences between forward bending with manual facilitation and forward bending with a stick. The level of statistical significance was set at p=.05. The results of the study showed that the angle of the lumbar flexion decreased significantly and the bilateral hip flexion angle increased significantly when performing forward bending with stick and manual facilitation. Furthermore, the angle of lumbar flexion decreased significantly and the angle of bilateral hip flexion increased significantly in forward bending with a stick compared to forward bending with manual facilitation. The findings of this study indicate that both forward bending with manual facilitation and sticks could be used to prevent excessive lumbar flexion and increase hip flexion, and that forward bending with a stick is more effective than forward bending with manual facilitation for inducing lumbar spine and hip joint angle changes.

For spinal flexibility measurements to be meaningful to clinicians or researchers, they must have a normative information and an understanding of how different variables affect spinal range of motion (ROM). Normal spinal ROM measurements are influenced to differing degrees by many factors. These factors include age, gender, time of day, leisure activities, previous history of low back pain, warming up, and the techniques with which normative data are collected. The additional variables of standing height, ratio of standing height to sitting height, and obesity had not been previously studied extensively and were shown to have a significant effect on flexibility in the sagittal plane. These relationship cannot be explained easily. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between spinal flexibility and individual factors (weight, standing height, and ratio of standing height to sitting height) that influence it. Fifteen healthy subjects between the ages of 20 and 27 years were studied. Two physical therapists measured independently the spinal forward bending ROM in the sagittal plane by Remodified Schober test and Finger-to-floor test. In order to determine the statistical significance of the result the Pearson's correlation was applied at the .05 level of significance. The results of this study were as follows: 1) Significant relationship was not identified between spinal flexibility and weight. 2) Significant relationship was not identified between spinal flexibility and standing height. 3) Significant relationship was not identified between spinal flexibility and ratio of standing height to sitting height.