Piriformis syndrome is a painful neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the piriformis muscle irritates and/or compresses the proximal sciatic nerve. Prolonged sitting position is the foremost cause of piriformis tightness in sedentary population that may eventually leads to piriformis syndrome. The incidence of piriformis has been reported to be six times more prevalent among females than males. Piriformis tightness will cause reduction in the range of motion, as well as limitations in walking, sitting and even running. Moreover, individuals will also feel pain in their butt muscles, which could be frustrating. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of myofascial release over stretching on pain and range of motion among female college students with piriformis syndrome. Twenty participants aged between 19 to 25 years old with tight piriformis muscle for four weeks participated in the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subjects were randomised and underwent myofascial release and stretching treatment twice in a week for four weeks. Before each session, the pain score and goniometer measurements were recorded. The experimental group and control group benefited through reduced pain and range of motion. Therefore, there are no significant effects of myofascial release found over stretching between the two groups.
Futsal is an upcoming popular sport. It is an active dynamic sport which requires the players to perform various movements like rapidly accelerating and decelerating, and also requires them to rapidly change their direction of movement. It also involves a lot of sliding and kicking. Compared to other athletic sports played worldwide, futsal is a rather vigorous sport with increased incidence of injuries. Tightness in the hamstring muscles can lead to various injuries. The prevalence of hamstring muscle injuries is very high in futsal players due to muscle tightness. This study aims to determine the effects of Muscle Energy Technique (MET) on hamstring flexibility among futsal players. After being screened as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the participants were instructed in MET. The technique was performed for seven to ten seconds with twenty percent of resistive effort synchronized with the breathing pattern of the participant and then stretched to the new muscle length. This was repeated until no further gain was possible. Hamstring length was assessed using the Active Knee Extension Test (AKET) before and after the intervention, the values were then compared. The result of the study show improvements in the hamstring length following the intervention (16.50) to be statistically significant (P