The Effects of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization in Sedentary Individuals With Hamstring Tightness

The Effect of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Pain, Skinfold Thickness, Shortness, and Functional Muscle Strength in Sedentary Individuals With Hamstring Tightness

The aim of this study will be to investigate and compare the effects of static stretching exercise, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM), and functional IASTM techniques on hamstring muscle shortness, pain threshold, skinfold thickness, and functional muscle strength in sedentary individuals. Fifty-one sedentary individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 who meet the inclusion criteria of Cyprus International University will be included in the study. The first group will receive static stretching exercises two days a week for four weeks; the second group will receive the IASTM technique two days a week for four weeks; and the third group will receive the functional IASTM technique, which will be applied with passive movements two days a week for four weeks. Hamstring shortness, pain threshold, skinfold thickness, and functional muscle strength will be evaluated before the treatment (BT), immediately after the treatment (AT1), two weeks after the treatment (AT2), and four weeks after the treatment (AT4).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Sedentary individuals aged 18 to 45
• Who worked at a desk for extended periods
• Who exhibited hamstring muscle tightness of more than 10 degrees

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed orthopaedic or neurological disorder
• a history of lower limb surgery
• The presence of scoliosis
• Tightness in the gastrocnemius muscle
• Participants who did not consistently attend the intervention programme (i.e., those who missed two or more sessions out of the 12 sessions)