Abstract des Autors

Many athletes include stretching exercises as part of their conditioning programs. One reason that specific muscles are regularly stretched is to decrease the risk of injury to the muscles themselves and to neighboring structures. The hip flexor muscles, for example, should be stretched to decrease the risk of muscle strains and injury to the lower-back region. Recently, Ashmen et. al. (1996, J. Sport Rehabil. 5(4):275-286) determined that significant deficits existed in hip-extension range of motion in division I female athletes with a history of chronic lower-back pain. Although all of the athletes with chronic lower-back pain in this study were fully participating in their respective sports, no specific indications were given as to whether the athletes were stretching their hip flexor muscles. However, it has been the author's experience that many athletes often overlook hip flexor muscle stretching and that those who do stretch the hip flexor muscles often use questionable techniques. Verf.-Referat