INTRODUCTION
Flexibility has been an important factor both to physical therapy treatments and to sports practice. It is known that the flexibility exercises are likely to provide physical, postural and mental improvements.1 Their aims usually include reducing the risks of injuries, minimizing late-occurring muscle pain and improving general muscle performance.2
On the other hand, loss of muscle flexibility is revealed through reduced capacity of a muscle to be deformed, thus resulting in reduced ROM.3 Chandler defined flexibility as “the ability of the joint to perform movement in a range of movement (ROM) without stress on the tendon-muscle unit”.4 Flexibility is also defined as the ability to move a single joint or series of joints smoothly and easily through an unrestricted, pain –free ROM.5 Adequate flexibility is an important characteristic of physical fitness. There continues to be debate regarding the optimal technique(s) for stretching and flexibility training.6
Flexibility exercises are designed to increase tissue elasticity, thereby increasing range of motion (ROM) of specific joints. Increased ROM is believed to both enhance athletic performance7,8,9 and decrease the severity and frequency of injuries.7
Flexibility is a key component for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Stretching is important for reducing injury and improving performance in sports and for overall physical fitness.10 Several stretching techniques are used to increase joint range of motion (ROM).11-18 Stretching is a general term used to describe any therapeutic manoeuver designed to increase the extensibility of soft tissues, thereby improving flexibility by elongating (lengthening) structures that have adaptively shortened and have become hypomobile over time.19-21 Different types of stretching techniques which are used are static, ballistic, passive manual stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching.