Optimal Duration of Stretching of the Hamstring Muscle Group

University of Sharjah

Status

Completed

Conditions

Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine

Treatments

Other: stretching exercise

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04441801

USharjah

Details and patient eligibility

About

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of variable stretching intervals on neural function and ROM.

DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial Participants: In this trial, 168 participants diagnosed with tight hamstring muscles (defined as the inability to extend the knee to less than 20° of knee flexion) were randomly assigned to the control group or one of the 3 intervention groups Interventions: The three experimental groups was stretched for 15, 30, and 60 seconds, respectively the control group did not stretch Main Outcome Measures: The neurophysiological outcome measures included peak to peak somatosensory evoked potential for dermatomes L3,L4,L5, and S1. Secondary outcome measures included knee ROM. All outcome measures were assessed immediately after the treatment session and 24 hours after the treatment session.

Full description

A prospective, blinded, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial will be conducted in the research laboratory of our university. The patients will participate in the study after signing an informed consent form prior to data collection.

Inclusion Criteria Subjects who demonstrate "tight" hamstring muscles, defined as inability to extend the knee to less than 20 degrees of knee flexion with the femur held at 90 degrees of hip flexion while the person was positioned supine. Subjects will also be screened to rule out knee joint flexion contractures by checking knee extension ROM, while they were lying in a prone position Exclusion Criteria Using of medical aids, and suffering from any neurological or cognitive impairment, limiting cardio-respiratory conditions, or had undergone recent surgery (within the past 12 months). Having any hip or knee replacements or any history of pathology in the low back, hips, or knees for the 3 months prior to the study

Participants will be divided into four groups according to the stretching duration time (15, 30, and 60s, and the fourth group, which served as a control, did not stretch). The patients will randomly assigned to one of the four groups as follows. The randomization process will be based on permuted blocks of variable sizes. Each random permuted block, created randomly by a number generator, will be transferred to a sequence of consecutively numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes that will be kept in a locked drawer until needed. Once a subject was formally included in the trial, the next envelope in the sequence was opened by the researcher in the presence of the subject who would be assigned to a group according to the number found in the envelope.

Enrollment

100 patients

Sex

All

Ages

60 to 65 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Subjects with "tight" hamstring muscles, defined as inability to extend the knee to less than 20 degrees of knee flexion with the femur held at 90 degrees of hip flexion while the person was positioned supine.

Exclusion criteria

Using of medical aids.
suffering from any neurological or cognitive impairment, limiting cardio-respiratory conditions,
had undergone recent surgery (within the past 12 months).
Having any hip or knee replacements or any history of pathology in the low back, hips, or knees for the 3 months prior to the study

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Single Blind

100 participants in 4 patient groups

15 seconds

Experimental group

Description:

Stretching of the hamstring muscles will be performed by the primary researcher. A straight-leg-raising technique will be used for this stretch because we believe that it is commonly used in the clinical setting for elderly people. All subjects were supine lying as flat as possible, each subject's knee will be maintained in extension with the ankle at 90 degrees without medial (internal) or lateral (external) rotation of the lower extremity, and the extremity was raised until the subject reported discomfort. The subject was asked to relax the lower extremity in an effort to prevent contracting muscles from affecting the stretch and to allow for a slow stretch. stretching will continue for 15 seconds .The patient relaxed for approximately 20s and the procedure was repeated three times.

Treatment:

Other: stretching exercise

30 seconds

Experimental group

Description:

the same stretching technique will continue for 30 seconds .The patient relaxed for approximately 20s and the procedure was repeated three times.

Treatment:

Other: stretching exercise

60 seconds

Experimental group

Description:

the same stretching technique will continue for 60 seconds .The patient relaxed for approximately 20s and the procedure was repeated three times.