Effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment of the pivots on lower limb function in young professional football players

Introduction: The most frequent injuries in professional soccer players are those pertinent to the lower limbs. In particular, strains of the hamstrings and ligamentous injuries of the knee. Therefore, preventive measures are aimed to reduce such events. We aimed to investigate if an osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) of the pivots could improve lower limb function in young professional football players. Methods: Thirty-eight young male professional football players were recruited (mean age 17.8 +/- 0.44 years). These were randomly assigned to an OMT or control group (n 1/4 20 and 18, respectively). Both groups underwent osteopathic evaluation. A sit-and-reach test, a vertical jump te…