A Study Looking at the Effects Hamstring Stretches, within an Osteopathic Treatment, have upon Perceived Change to Lower Back Pain, Using an adaptation of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Index Questionnaire

Author: Marcus Bernini                                            Supervisor: Heath Williams

Abstract: This study investigated the relationship between bilateral static hamstring stretches and perceived lumbar spine pain levels. Two groups of subjects were used. A control group who received osteopathic treatment to the lumbar spine without static hamstring stretches and the study group who received osteopathic treatment with static hamstring stretches. The Test subjects then asked to complete the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Index Questionnaire which was used to determine their level of pain in the lumbar spine both before and after treatment. The experimental hypothesis was those who received static hamstring stretches would perceive to have less lower back pain (LBP) than those who did not. There was no significant difference in pain perception between the two treatment protocols, using a Mann - Whitney Test (p< or = 0.05), the two-tailed P value was 0.5953, which was considered not significant. These results confirm that hamstring stretches may not be the most important aspect of a treatment plan for having an immediate effect in reducing lower back pain. During this study the differences in perceived pain after treatment between acute and chronic patients, again using the Mann-Whitney non-parametric t-test (p< or = 0.05) was significant (P value = 0.0133) and confirms other research involved in the difference in effects osteopathic treatment has upon acute and chronic patients. However further research into the long term effects of hamstring stretches upon lower back pain is needed.