A comparison of muscular tightness in runners and nonrunners and the relation of muscular tightness to low back pain in runners

The focus of this experimental study was to compare muscular tightness at the hip between runners and nonrunners, and to determine if there is a relation between muscular tightness and low back pain in runners. Goniometric range of motion measurements of three hip movements, abduction, flexion with the knee extended, and extension, were taken on two subject populations, runners (N = 45), and nonrunners (n = 43), in order to determine tightness of the hip adductor, extensor, and flexor muscles, respectively. The mean score values obtained for each of the three measurements of both the right and left sides were compared for differences between the running and nonrunning populations and between male and female subjects. Runners were found to be significantly limited in the movement of hip flexion with the knee extended. The mean score values obtained for all male subjects for this movement were lower than those for all female subjects. The incidence of low back pain in runners was examined; however, no correlation could be drawn between muscular tightness in these subjects and low back pain.