Effect of the Muscular Energy Technique With the 4th Ventricle Technique on the Range of Motion of the Hamstring Muscles in Female Basketball Players: RCT

The muscular energy technique (MET) is a manual therapy technique that uses isometric contractions with the aim of increasing the extensibility of the muscle group, as well as promoting lymphatic and venous circulation. The fourth ventricle technique (CV-four) plays an amplifying role in the movement of tissues and fluids, restoring the flexibility of the autonomous response. For the MET, the researcher adopted a position homolateral to the dominant limb, contacting the lower limb with the caudal hand in the region of the malleoli. He then helped the participant to perform the movement, which consisted of flexion of the hip and extension of the knee passively until the motor barrier was reached, after which she was instructed to perform an isometric contraction of the hamstring. A total of three contractions of seven seconds with an interval of two to three seconds were requested, using approximately twenty per cent of their maximum force, and gaining a new motor barrier between each series, for a total of three series. For the CV-four technique, the researcher adopted a seated position and laterally contacted the scaly portion of the occiput, bringing it closer to the posterior convexity of the occiput, bringing the skull into extension, changing the compression movement with decompression, until three minutes had elapsed. At all stages of the session, the participant was positioned in the supine position, with the upper limbs alongside the body and the neck in a neutral position. All the participants in the study underwent an initial and final assessment protocol to determine their range of motion (ROM).