Abstract

Patellofemoral Pain (PFP) is one of the common musculoskeletal disorders among athletes. Hamstring tightness is the most important problem in PFP. It leads to a hamstring injury that is the most common type of injury among athletes, resulting in their dysfunction. Until now, no studies have been conducted on the comparison of static stretching and Muscle Energy Technique (MET) in athletes with PFP. This study aimed to compare the effects of these two therapeutic techniques on hamstring tightness, function, and pain in athletes with PFP. This study was conducted on 66 high-level male athletes with PFP from various sports (soccer, volleyball, and basketball). The participants were categorized randomly into three groups: an experimental group of 22 participants (24.47±3.48 years) that received static stretching, another experimental group of 22 participants (23.13±4.14 years) that received MET, and a control group of 22 participants (23.56±4.49 years) that received no interventions. The training sessions were held five days a week for two weeks. The assessment was done before the training, immediately after the two-week training, and two weeks later. Active Knee Extension (AKE) test, Numerical Rate Scale (NRS), and Kujala test were used to evaluate hamstring flexibility, pain, and function, respectively.

Repeated measurement test showed significant improvements in hamstring flexibility, pain, and function in the MET and static stretch groups after the intervention (P<0.05). However, no significant changes were found in the control group. MET was found to be more effective than static stretch in the improvement of hamstring flexibility, pain, and function in athletes with PFP‎.