Correlation between hamstring muscle tightness and incidence of low back pain in female students at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia

– OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed at determining the difference in hamstring tightness between dominant and non-dominant legs and to detect the correlation between LBP and hamstring tightness. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred females with hamstring tightness of at least 15 degrees have been included in the study. Hamstring shortening was examined by the Active Knee Extension test (AKE) and Straight Leg Raising test (SLR), whilst the functional disability’ degree was measured by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). RESULTS: The straight leg raising and the AKE of the dominant leg were significantly more flexible than the non-dominant ones. There was a weak positive non-significant correlation between ODI and AKE of the dominant side (r = 0.162, p = 0.1) and the non-dominant side (r = 0.071, p = 0.48). There was a weak negative non-significant correlation between ODI and SLR of the dominant side (r = - 0.29, p = 0.77) and the non-dominant side (r = - 0.53, p = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: There was no relation between the degree of hamstring tightness and LBP in female students at Jouf University.