Hamstring Tightness

Emory University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hamstring Tightness

Treatments: Procedure: Blunt needle placement; Procedure: Dry needling; Other: Standard hamstring stretching exercise; Procedure: Sham needling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02516137

IRB00077095

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to find out if individuals with tight hamstring muscles who receive dry needling in addition to a standard stretching exercise program, show an improvement in hamstring tightness and function compared to individuals with tight hamstrings who receive either sham dry needling or no needling (blunt needle) in addition to a standard stretching program.

Full description

Tightness of the hamstring muscles is a risk factor for injury. Currently, there is no data on the effect of dry needling on hamstring extensibility or functional performance measures among asymptomatic individuals with hamstring muscle tightness. The investigator wants to assess if individuals with tight hamstring muscles who receive dry needling in addition to a standard stretching exercise program, exhibit reduced hamstring tightness and improved functional performance compared to individuals with tight hamstrings who receive either sham dry needling or no needling (blunt needle) in addition to a standard stretching program.

Enrollment: 28 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Hamstring 90/90 extensibility goniometric measurement of more than 20 degrees of knee flexion bilaterally
• Ability to perform a squat to 90 degrees of knee flexion without assistance of the upper extremities
• Asymptomatic during walking

Exclusion criteria

• History of systemic neurological or arthritic condition
• History of bony or peripheral nerve trauma or surgery lower extremities
• History of treatment with dry needling
• No contraindications to dry needling

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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28 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Dry needling group

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects with tight hamstrings will receive dry needling to the hamstrings with the needle inserted into the muscle tissue in addition to a standard hamstring stretching exercise program.

Treatment:

Procedure: Dry needling

Other: Standard hamstring stretching exercise

Sham dry needling group

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Subjects with tight hamstrings will receive sham dry needling to the hamstrings with the needle inserted into the subcutaneous tissue in addition to a standard hamstring stretching exercise program.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sham needling

Other: Standard hamstring stretching exercise

No needling group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Subjects with tight hamstrings will receive no needling but have the tip of a blunt needle handle placed on the skin over the hamstrings in addition to a standard hamstring stretching exercise program.

Treatment:

Procedure: Blunt needle placement

Other: Standard hamstring stretching exercise