Effectiveness of Sub-Occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique and Muscle Energy Technique on Hamstring Tightness in Young Volleyball Players

Background: Hamstring tightness is a common musculoskeletal problem among volleyballplayers and may adversely affect athletic performance while increasing the risk of injury.Sub-occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique (SMIT) and Muscle Energy Technique (MET)are commonly used physiotherapy interventions for improving hamstring flexibility;however, evidence comparing their effectiveness in young volleyball players is limited.Objective: To compare the effectiveness of Sub-occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique andMuscle Energy Technique on hamstring tightness in young volleyball players.Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 60 volleyball players aged15–25 years with hamstring tightness. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups(n=30 each). Group A received Sub-occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique, while Group Breceived Muscle Energy Technique. Interventions were administered five sessions per weekfor four weeks. Hamstring flexibility was assessed using the Active Knee Extension Test(AKE) and Finger Floor Distance Test (FFD). Data were analyzed using paired andindependent t-tests, with the level of significance set at p<0.05.Results: Group A demonstrated significant improvement in AKE Right from 31.1±2.7 to27.1±2.6, AKE Left from 30.2±4.8 to 24.5±5.0, and FFD from 7.8±2.01 cm to 4.8±1.9 cm.Group B showed significant improvement in AKE Right from 31.0±2.7 to 27.5±2.9 and FFDfrom 7.7±2.0 cm to 5.4±2.3 cm. Within-group analysis revealed highly significantimprovements in both groups (p<0.001). Group A demonstrated greater overallimprovement in flexibility outcomes compared to Group B.Conclusion: Both Sub-occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique and Muscle Energy Techniquewere effective in improving hamstring flexibility among young volleyball players. However,Sub-occipital Muscle Inhibition Technique demonstrated superior improvement and may beconsidered a valuable intervention for the management of hamstring tightness in thispopulation.