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Passive Versus Active Stretching of Hip Flexor Muscles in Subjects With Limited Hip Extension: A Randomized Clinical Trial

MV Winters, PT, MPT, is Staff Physical Therapist, Musculoskeletal Care Clinic, Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center, Fort Meade, Md
CG Blake, PT, MPT, is Officer in Charge of Physical Therapy, LaPointe Health Clinic, Fort Campbell, Ky
JS Trost, PT, MPT, is Executive Officer to Air Force Surgeon General, Bolling AFB, Washington, DC
TB Marcello-Brinker, PT, MPT, is Staff Physical Therapist, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC
LM Lowe, PT, MPT, OCS, is Staff Physical Therapist, Department of Physical Therapy, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
MB Garber, PT, DSc, OCS, FAAOMPT, is Executive Fellow, Army Medical Specialist Corps, Fort Sam Houston, Tex
RS Wainner, PT, PhD, OCS, ECS, FAAOMPT, is Associate Professor, US Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Physical Therapy, MCCS/HMT, 3151 Scott Rd, Room 1303, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234–6138 (USA) (Robert.Wainner{at}CEN.AMEDD.ARMY.MIL)

Address all correspondence to Lt Col Wainner

Background and Purpose. Active stretching is purported to stretch the shortened muscle and simultaneously strengthen the antagonist muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine whether active and passive stretching results in a difference between groups at improving hip extension range of motion in patients with hip flexor muscle tightness. Subjects and Methods. Thirty-three patients with low back pain and lower-extremity injuries who showed decreased range of motion, presumably due to hip flexor muscle tightness, completed the study. The subjects, who had a mean age of 23.6 years (SD=5.3, range=18–25), were randomly assigned to either an active home stretching group or a passive home stretching group. Hip extension range of motion was measured with the subjects in the modified Thomas test position at baseline and 3 and 6 weeks after the start of the study. Results. Range of motion in both groups improved over time, but there were no differences between groups. Discussion and Conclusion. The results indicate that passive and active stretching are equally effective for increasing range of motion, presumably due to increased flexibility of tight hip flexor muscles. Whether the 2 methods equally improve flexibility of other muscle groups or whether active stretching improves the function of the antagonist muscles is not known. Active and passive stretching both appeared to increase the flexibility of tight hip flexor muscles in patients with musculoskeletal impairments.

Key Words: Active and passive stretching • Hip flexor muscle • Randomized trial

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				Evidence based journal watch Br. J. Sports Med., March 1, 2005; 39(3): 185 - 186. [Full Text] [PDF]