Acute Responses of Postural Alignment, Kinematic Synergy, and Intermuscular Coherence to Postural Muscle Facilitation

NCT ID: NCT05608850

Last Updated: 2022-11-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 15 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-10-25
• Study Completion Date: 2023-05-31

Brief Summary

Clinicians frequently assess and intervene on postural alignment. However, research demonstrating the effects of exercise interventions in moving postural alignment toward an evidence-based standard is lacking. Part of the difficulty in establishing such evidence has been a lack of theory-motivated conceptions of what "good" posture is. In other words, the prevailing understanding of postural alignment is based on the negation of what has been observed to associate with bad outcomes. This study will build upon preliminary findings from our laboratory that define good postural alignment on theoretical grounds. The investigators will measure motion capture and muscle activation patterns during simple postural alignment tasks before and after 1) a corrective exercise intervention, or 2) a control intervention based designed to inhibit superficial muscle tension. The corrective exercise intervention is designed to counteract the natural patterns in which the human skeleton tends to collapse from a standing position under the influence of gravity. The control intervention consists of passive, partner-assisted stretching. Regardless of initial assignment, all participants will crossover (i.e. switch interventions) and repeat the study procedures after a 1-week washout period. Behavioral indicators of movement and nervous system coordination will be used to quantify alignment before and after exercise, as well as the consistency of those alignment patterns with theoretically-defined standards. The knowledge gained from this study will contribute to evidence-based definitions of healthy postural alignment and help identify effective interventions by which clinicians can promote good posture.

Conditions

Posture; Musculoskeletal Equilibrium; Electromyography; Kinematics

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Exercise Then Stretch

Participants in AB will perform the experimental (exercise) intervention first and the control (stretch) intervention second

Group Type: OTHER

Exercise Then Stretch

Intervention Type: OTHER

This arm (sequence) will perform an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention and then a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention, separated by a one-week washout period.

Stretch Then Exercise

Intervention Type: OTHER

This arm (sequence) will perform a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention and then an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention , separated by a one-week washout period.

Stretch Then Exercise

Participants in BA will perform the experimental (exercise) intervention second and the control (stretch) intervention first

Group Type: OTHER

Exercise Then Stretch

Intervention Type: OTHER

This arm (sequence) will perform an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention and then a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention, separated by a one-week washout period.

Stretch Then Exercise

Intervention Type: OTHER

This arm (sequence) will perform a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention and then an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention , separated by a one-week washout period.

Interventions

Exercise Then Stretch

This arm (sequence) will perform an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention and then a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention, separated by a one-week washout period.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Stretch Then Exercise

This arm (sequence) will perform a passive, partner-assisted stretching intervention and then an anti-gravity kinetic chain intervention , separated by a one-week washout period.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy adult
• 18 - 40 years of age

Exclusion Criteria

• Recent (< 6 months) history of lower extremity injury
• Recent (< 6 months) history of other musculoskeletal or neurological disorder affecting balance
• Contraindications to participation in physical activity

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Radford University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Stephen Glass

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Radford University Carilion

Roanoke, Virginia, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Stephen M Glass, PhD

Role: CONTACT

smglass1@radford.edu

540-831-1959

Facility Contacts

Stephen M Glass, PhD

Role: primary

smglass1@radford.edu

540-831-1959

Other Identifiers

2021-288-RUC

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id