Effects of Sub Occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique on Hamstring Flexibility in Post-laminectomy Patients

Effects of Sub-occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique on Hamstring Flexibility in Post-laminectomy Patients

to find out the effects of sub-occipital muscle inhibition technique in combination with upper cervical spine exercises on hamstring muscle flexibility in post-laminectomy patients.

Laminectomy is a decompression surgery which is performed to decrease pressure on spinal nerves. In this surgical procedure a small bone of vertebrae called lamina is removed. Hamstring muscle stiffness is a major problem in post-laminectomy patients, which results in chronic pain, functional limitation and affect patients activity of daily life.

In post-laminectomy patients hamstring stiffness is more profound than iliotibial Band and piriformis stiffness. Sub-occipital muscle and hamstring are connected via a single neural pathway called superior back line which passes through dura matter. Dura matter is the outer most covering of meninges, Sub Occipital Muscles attached to dura matter by Myodural Bridge through vertebral dural ligament. This connection provides a window for relaxation of dural fascia to decrease tone of connected muscular-skeletal units (in which hamstring is also included). So if any of these muscle units become tight, or tone deterioration occur the other unit is automatically malfunctioned. The study shows that if tone sub-occipital muscle falls, it has been reported that the tone of knee flexors such as hamstring also decreases due to relaxation of myofascia.

However, in post-laminectomy patients, incorporating a neural pathway connection technique involving sub-occipital muscle inhibition for upper neural pathway Dura release may offer more effective and immediate results on hamstring muscle flexibility in the lower neural pathway The sub-occipital muscle inhibition technique is a method of inducing relaxation of the fascia by applying soft pressure to the sub-occipital area.

The rationale of the present study is to find out the effectiveness of Sub Occipital Muscle inhibition technique for stiff hamstring muscle in post-laminectomy patients, pain and disability. To compare the effectiveness of SOM inhibition technique in combination of upper cervical spine muscle stretching,traction etc. with hamstring muscle stretching, lower limb neurodynamic etc.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hamstring muscle tightness, (AKE < 80) or (more than 20 degree lag in knee extension).
• Back of the thigh pain.
• Prior laminectomy surgical procedure at lumber spine.
• Patients who are willing to participate.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior femur and back related fracture,
• Bilateral lower limb pain,
• Any systemic issue.
• Visual hamstring swelling.
• Individual with cervical ligaments instability and migraine.
• Unable to understand the consent form,
• Patients who are not willing to participate in procedure