Ipsilateral and contralateral effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques on hip motion and electromyographic activity.

The effects of two proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques on increasing the range of hip flexion during active straight leg raising were compared in 30 normal women. Subjects were randomly assigned into contract-relax, hold-relax, or control groups and were tested with the pelvis stabilized. An exercise technique was applied to the right lower extremity in two diagonal patterns while electrical activity was monitored from the contralateral rectus femoris, vastus medialis, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris muscles. Comparison of pretest and posttest measurements of the angle of straight leg raising of both lower extremities indicated that the increase in range of motion of the right lower extremity in subjects in the contract-relax group was significantly greater than that in the hold-relax and control groups. For the unexercised extremity, the increase in motion in subjects in the contract-relax group was significantly greater than that in the control group. Of the 30 subjects, 29 showed evidence of electrical activity in the contralateral limb when the right lower extremity was contracting against resistance.