Comparison of the Immediate Effects of a Hypopressive Abdominal Exercise Program Versus a Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching Program on Hamstring Flexibility in Adults With Short Hamstring Syndrome

NCT ID: NCT05678400

Last Updated: 2025-01-01

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 19 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-03-26
• Study Completion Date: 2023-05-30

Brief Summary

A Randomised Controlled Trial was conducted to assess increases in hamstring flexibility using two different methods, one group of participants who were stretched with PNF techniques and the other group who performed Hypopressive Abdominal Techniques (HAT). Flexibility scores of both groups were obtained and compared using pre and post measurements of a single intervention.

Conditions

Exercise Therapy; Physical Therapy Modalities; Hamstring Muscles

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Hypopressive abdominal techniques

All subjects were instructed by a registered physiotherapist on how to correctly perform the hypopressive abdominal techniques (HAT) in two familiarisation sessions of 45 minutes each before any action was taken. After the two sessions, all subjects who did not learn the exercise correctly were dropped from the study. The HAT training consisted of asking subjects in a standing position to perform a spinal elongation with neutral pelvis and scapular muscle activation for three normal respiratory cycles with slow and deep exhalation, and on the last breath, an expiratory apnoea with rib expansion and elevation was requested. In this session, following the guidelines described in the familiarisation sessions, two series of four dynamic HATs in standing position were performed: dynamic HATs in right tilt, dynamic HATs in left tilt, dynamic HATs in right rotation and dynamic HATs in left rotation.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hypopressive abdominal techniques

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Both training protocols were carried out in a single intervention for each of the participants assigned to either the HAT or the PNF stretching group. The intervention began with the measurement of hip flexion using the EPR test, and ended with a post-intervention measurement of hip flexion to observe the effects of the treatment. All measurements, as well as the interventions for each of the patients in the two groups, were carried out by the same registered physiotherapist. In order to standardise an order of examination of the lower limbs in the EPR test, the right lower limb was assessed first, followed by the left lower limb. Likewise, the same order was standardised for stretching in the PNF group.

Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

The therapist straddled that leg, and raised the other leg by placing the heel on the shoulder. The therapist then flexed the participant's hip, maintaining knee extension, to the point of discomfort indicated by the patient or the therapist's perceived end of range. In this position the leg was held straight for 10 seconds and immediately afterwards the participant was asked to perform a maximum isometric contraction for 5 seconds using the therapist's shoulder as counter resistance, thus keeping the leg straight at the same point. As soon as the contraction stops, the therapist flexes the hip again until a new range limit is reached, repeating the same protocol again. The total duration is 60 seconds, consisting of 4 passive stretches of 10 seconds each and 4 isometric contractions against resistance of 5 seconds each.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

Interventions

Hypopressive abdominal techniques

Both training protocols were carried out in a single intervention for each of the participants assigned to either the HAT or the PNF stretching group. The intervention began with the measurement of hip flexion using the EPR test, and ended with a post-intervention measurement of hip flexion to observe the effects of the treatment. All measurements, as well as the interventions for each of the patients in the two groups, were carried out by the same registered physiotherapist. In order to standardise an order of examination of the lower limbs in the EPR test, the right lower limb was assessed first, followed by the left lower limb. Likewise, the same order was standardised for stretching in the PNF group.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Participants with less than 75° in the straight leg raise test.

Exclusion Criteria

• History of hamstring injury within the last year.
• Pharmacological treatment or history of neurological, orthopaedic, growth or autoimmune disorders.
• Training to improve flexibility in the week prior to the intervention.
• Hypertension.
• Pregnant women.
• Inability to perform hypopressive abdominal techniques.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Vigo

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Pablo Hernandez-Lucas

Associate professor in health sciences

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Facultade de fisioterapia

Pontevedra, , Spain

Countries

Spain

Other Identifiers

Andres TFM

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id