Effects of adding massage gun before or after dry needling versus dry needling alone on hamstring flexibility, strength and performance, and post-needling soreness in male amateur bodybuilders with hamstring shortness

to investigate the effect of adding percussive massage before or after dry needling and comparing it with dry needling alone on hamstring muscle flexibility, strength, and function, and needle-induced discomfort in a group of male amateur bodybuilders with hamstring muscle shortening

three groups: dry needling intervention alone with 5 mins of rest, dry needling intervention group with 5 mins of percussion massage afterwards, and dry needling intervention group with 5 mins of percussion massage before it Single-blinded 36 people Block randomization

In the Boys' Medical Sciences Dormitory, A physiotherapist, who is unaware of group allocation, will record participant characteristics and measure study variables before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 24 hours after the intervention Another physiotherapist will administer the interventions.

Inclusion criteria Male amateur bodybuilders 18-40 years Short hamstring Exclusion criteria Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs contraindications for dry needling contraindications for percussive massage Low back pain or radicular pain within the past 3 months History of back, hip, or knee surgery Hamstring strain within the past 3 months History of musculoskeletal diseases in the lower extremities Unwillingness to participate in the study

dry needling intervention needles are inserted into 3 locations of the hamstrings for 1 minute in a single session, using a fast in–out cone-shaped technique percussion massage intervention massage is applied to the hamstring muscle for 5 minutes with a massage device

Hamstring muscle length Hamstring stretch tolerance angle Hamstring strength in isometric contraction Hamstring to quadriceps contraction ratio Triple hop test Needle irritation Pressure pain threshold

Randomization will be performed using Block Randomization and allocation concealment will be done using sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes. This method is one of the common methods of concealing random allocation, which is known as the SNOSE method for short. The random allocation process will be performed by someone outside the research team before the study begins. Finally, each individual's study group assignment will be determined according to the contents of the envelope provided to them. Accordingly, individuals will be divided into three groups: dry needling alone, dry needling with percussion massage before, and dry needling with percussion massage after.

A trained physiotherapist, blinded to group allocation, recorded participant characteristics including age, weight, and height and measured study variables before, immediately after, and 24 hours after the intervention. Another experienced physiotherapist performed the interventions on the dominant leg of the individual with hamstring shortening.