The Effects of Hamstring Stretching With and Without Neural Load on Flexibility, Maximum Isometric Strength and Tibial Nerve Pressure Pain Threshold

NCT ID: NCT05344586

Last Updated: 2022-07-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 80 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-04-22
• Study Completion Date: 2022-07-28

Brief Summary

The study will be carried out at the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy of the University of Alcala. The study has been approved by the Animal Research and Experimentation Ethics Committee of the University of Alcalá. Healthy subjects will be recruited and divided into two groups randomly to perform a hamstring stretching program for two months.

One group will perform a stretch with neural load and the other without neural load, although both groups will stretch for the same amount of time, repetitions and subjective sensation.

Participants will be measured before and after performing their assigned stretch. Then, a new post-stretch measurement will be taken after two months, period during which the subjects will perform the stretching program on their own. Finally, subjects will be asked to quit the stretching program to take a final evaluation measurement after one month of follow-up.

The objective will be to evaluate the effects of stretching with and without neural load on hamstring flexibility (main variable), maximum isometric strength and tibial nerve pressure pain threshold.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Intervention group

Hamstring stretching program with neural load

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hamstring stretching program with neural load

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will perform a hamstring stretch with neural load on their dominant leg. They will stretch five days a week, carrying out two repetitions of one minute each, taking a thirty second break in between. The stretch will be performed in a standing position with their dominant leg on a surface at a mid-thigh height approximately, where their knee is not fully stretched and remains unlocked and their back is in a neutral position. Participants will be encouraged to keep a maximum stretching sensation without feeling any pain. To perform the stretch, different tension parameters will be added in the following order (the next parameter shall not be introduced until the previous one has been exhausted): ankle dorsiflexion, cervical and craniocervical flexion, and hip flexion.

Control group

Hamstring stretching program without neural load

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hamstring stretching program without neural load

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will perform a hamstring stretch without neural load on their dominant leg. They will stretch five days a week, carrying out two repetitions of one minute each, taking a thirty second break in between. The stretch will be performed in a standing position with their dominant leg on a surface at a mid-thigh height approximately, where their knee is not fully stretched and remains unlocked and their back is in a neutral position. Participants will be encouraged to keep a maximum stretching sensation without feeling any pain. To perform the stretch, tension will be added by flexing their hip, keeping their ankle relaxed and their spine neutral.

Interventions

Hamstring stretching program with neural load

Participants will perform a hamstring stretch with neural load on their dominant leg. They will stretch five days a week, carrying out two repetitions of one minute each, taking a thirty second break in between. The stretch will be performed in a standing position with their dominant leg on a surface at a mid-thigh height approximately, where their knee is not fully stretched and remains unlocked and their back is in a neutral position. Participants will be encouraged to keep a maximum stretching sensation without feeling any pain. To perform the stretch, different tension parameters will be added in the following order (the next parameter shall not be introduced until the previous one has been exhausted): ankle dorsiflexion, cervical and craniocervical flexion, and hip flexion.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Hamstring stretching program without neural load

Participants will perform a hamstring stretch without neural load on their dominant leg. They will stretch five days a week, carrying out two repetitions of one minute each, taking a thirty second break in between. The stretch will be performed in a standing position with their dominant leg on a surface at a mid-thigh height approximately, where their knee is not fully stretched and remains unlocked and their back is in a neutral position. Participants will be encouraged to keep a maximum stretching sensation without feeling any pain. To perform the stretch, tension will be added by flexing their hip, keeping their ankle relaxed and their spine neutral.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy subjects who do not perform hamstring stretches with neural load in their daily training routine

Exclusion Criteria

• Elite athletes competing or preparing for competition
• Lower limb surgery
• Hamstring injury in the last year
• Neurological, rheumatologic and/or orthopedic pathological history of lower limbs.
• Other comorbidities

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Jaén

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Alexander Achalandabaso

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Juan Mínguez

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain

Locations

Juan

Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

Countries

Spain

Other Identifiers

CEIM/HU/2019/36

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id