hamstrings

Hamstring weakness, tightness, and reduced endurance are common in athletes and can affect sports performance while increasing the risk of injury. Nordic Hamstring Curls improve eccentric hamstring strength, and retro walking enhances lower limb muscle activation and flexibility. Combining these two interventions may effectively improve hamstring strength and endurance, but limited evidence is available regarding their combined effect in athletes.

matched text: “hamstring”

Aims This study evaluated the effectiveness of combining cryotherapy with the Graston Technique in reducing pain and improving activities of daily living (ADL) among individuals with non-traumatic knee pain. Methods A total of 100 participants aged 31–50 years were recruited from August to October 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (Graston Technique + cryotherapy) or a control group (Graston Technique alone), with 50 participants in each group. Both groups received one treatment session daily for 10 consecutive sessions over 2 weeks, with each session lasting 30–35 min. The Graston Technique was applied using standardized stainless-steel instruments over the quadriceps, hamstring, and peri-patellar regions. In the experimental group, cryotherapy was applied immediately after treatment using cold packs maintained at 10 °C–12 °C for 10–15 min. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), while functional performance was evaluated using ADL tasks including walking, stair climbing, cross-leg sitting, and toilet activities. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t -tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results Both groups demonstrated significant improvements following intervention ( p < 0.001). The experimental group showed greater pain reduction (mean difference: 2.18 ± 0.48) and better improvement in ADL performance (mean difference range: 2.16–3.12) compared with the control group. The control group showed moderate improvements in pain (0.56 ± 0.50) and ADL scores (1.32–1.62). Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive association between pain reduction and improved ADL performance ( r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Conclusion The findings suggest that combining cryotherapy with the Graston Technique is more effective than the Graston Technique alone in improving pain and functional ability among individuals with non-traumatic knee pain. This combined intervention may serve as a practical, non-invasive rehabilitation strategy in physiotherapy settings. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes.

matched text: “hamstring”