Comparison of Foam Rolling and Ischemic Compression in Treating Hamstring

Both foam rolling (FR), and ischemic compression (IC) have been shown to be effective in treating muscle tightness, but the literature lacks studies comparing them. This study was a crossover design consisting of 11 healthy NCAA Division II and III collegiate basketball players. Subjects underwent, in a randomized order, 3 treatments: 1) 2x90s trials of FR, 2) 3x30-60s of IC and 3) No treatment; with a 1-week period between each treatment. Variables measure pre and post treatment were: active hamstring range of motion (ROM), pain-pressure threshold (PPT), vertical jump height (VJ), and peak power output (PPO). A global rate of change survey (GROC) was given to measure the subject's perceived effect of the treatment. This study found, following each of the three treatments, a significant increase in ROM, VJ, and PPO. The improvement recorded in ROM, VJ and PPO does not appear to be the result of FR or IC.