Utilizing Alternative Planes of Motion for Hamstring Stretching: Can it Reduce Pain, Improve Range of Motion, Increase Muscle Strength, and Facilitate Early Return to Performance in Recreational Athletes With Acute Exercise-Induced Muscular Damage?

Stretching treatments associated with muscle injury that re-creates pain or mechanism of injury is contraindicated. To date, no studies have explored the efficacy of treating a damaged muscle group utilizing flexibility protocols that are based on selectively single or combined planes of motion. The objective is to determine if daily stretching, utilizing alternative planes of motion for exercised-induced hamstring muscl damage (EIMD), would result in pain reduction, improved range of motion, increased muscle strength, and facilitation of early return to performance over 96 hours.