The effect of acupressure on hamstring length

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of acupressure on hamstring length and whether pelvic rotation occurs during active-knee-extension hamstring length measurement. Forty subjects ages 18 to 30 years were tested. Twenty subjects received acupressure treatment and twenty received a placebo treatment. Acupressure was applied to four points, Urinary Bladder-36, Urinary Bladder-37, Urinary Bladder-40 and Gall Bladder-34. The subject's end-range knee flexion angle (KFA) was measured pre- and post-treatment. Pelvic angle measurements were taken before and after active knee extension. No significant difference in end-range KFAs was found between acupressure and placebo groups. Pelvic rotation was found to occur during the active-knee-extension hamstring length measurement but, had no significant correlation to end-range KFA measurements. Due to lack of significant results, no conclusions regarding the effects of acupressure on hamstring length nor the effects of pelvic rotation on active-knee-extension hamstring length measurement can be made from the results of this study.