Efeito agudo da crioterapia e diatermia na flexibilidade e força muscular de isquiotibiais.

Objective: To investigate the acute effect of cryotherapy and short-wave diathermy on flexibility and muscle strength in the hamstrings of young women. Materials and Methods: Forty-five volunteers were randomized into a control group, a cryotherapy group and a short-wave diathermy group. The subjects underwent a single session of cryotherapy or short-wave diathermy. Flexibility through the Wells bench and the active knee-extension end range and muscle strength through dynamometry were assessed pre and post treatment. The variables were analyzed through the Student t test and ANOVA. Results: A significant increase in the hamstring flexibility was found using both the Wells bench (24.50±6.88 cm to 26.87±8.02 cm) (p=0.002) and the active knee-extension end range (162.60±7.76 degrees to 165.53±6.38 degrees) (p=0.015) in the diathermy group. The cryotherapy group showed improvement in flexibility with the Wells bench test (23.27±6.33 cm to 25.53±6.13 cm) (p=0.002). No change was observed in the hamstring muscle strength in either treatment group. The control group showed no difference in any of the variables. No differences were observed between groups. Conclusion: Both short-wave diathermy and cryotherapy acutely improved hamstring flexibility in healthy young women. Thermotherapy by shortwave diathermy was more effective in this case. Both procedures had no effect on the force produced by the hamstring muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]