Which therapy loosens tight hamstrings best? new study tests two popular methods
NCT ID NCT07167602
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study compared two manual therapy techniques—Positional Release Therapy and Active Release Therapy—for treating hamstring shortening in 74 athletes aged 18-35. Participants received either therapy plus standard physiotherapy twice a week for four weeks. Researchers measured pain, flexibility, and function to see which approach works better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- manual therapy (positional release therapy or active release therapy)
- What this could lead to
- If one therapy proves clearly better, it could guide rehab choices for athletes with tight hamstrings, improving recovery and performance.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with 74 athletes, so results may not apply to all people or sports. Both therapies are already used, so no breakthrough is expected.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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74 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Finished
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Aug 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 35 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants with age between 18 to 35 * Both genders * Athletes with BMI between 18.5 kg/m² and 29.9 kg/m². * Basketball, Football And Badminton Players. * Athletes who practices atleast 3 days per week. * Participants with Numeric pain rating scale values \> 4. * Participants with unilateral tightness of hamstring muscle with SLR \< 80° and AKE \< 125° Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with any acute chronic hamstring strain or lower back pain. * Participants with leg length discrepancy. * Participants with a sedentary lifestyle. * Participants with upper motor neuron or lower motor neuron lesion. * Participants with any previous history of lower extremity injury in the past three months * Participants who are not willing to sign the consent
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Lahore - Teaching Hospital, University Institute of Physical Therapy
Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan