Effects of Foam Rolling Prior to PNF Stretching on Hamstring Flexibility and Thigh Skin Temperature in Healthy Subjects

Effects of Foam Roller Application Prior to Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on Hamstring Flexibility and Thigh Skin Temperature in Healthy Subjects

There is no study investigating the hamstring flexibility and skin temperature after combined warm-up techniques especially PNF and foam rolling. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of foam roller application prior to proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on hamstring flexibility and thigh skin temperature in healthy subjects.Secondly, it is aimed to compare the effects between non-vibration foam rolling and vibration foam rolling on measured parameters.

In this study forty-eight subjects will be voluntarily recruited into the study according to inclusion criteria. Participants will be randomly assigned to Vibration Foam Rolling + PNF stretching, Non-Vibration Foam Rolling + PNF stretching, only PNF stretching and control group. Subjects will be evaluated before, immediately after and 30 minutes after intervention. Hamstring flexibility will be evaluated with Active Knee Extension Angle (AKEA) Test and functionally Sit and Reach test. Thigh skin temperature will be evaluated with thermographic imaging.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years and older,
• Having limitation of 20 degrees or more in knee extension angle in AKEA test,
• Right side lower extremity dominance

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of lower extremity injury in the last 12 months
• Having neurological or psychological problem
• Doing a stretching based exercise recently
• History of pain in the lower body and extremity in the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire
• Having lower extremity deformity