Comparative Effects of Lower Body Quadrant Neural Mobilization and Stretching in Collegiate Football Players

NCT ID: NCT06298851

Last Updated: 2025-01-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-03-08
• Study Completion Date: 2024-03-31

Brief Summary

Neural mobilization (NM) refers to a therapeutic interventions that aim to directly or indirectly influence neural structures and adjacent tissues through manual techniques or exercise. The application of NM has been investigated in both patients and healthy individuals. In this study, participants from an amateur football team will be allocated into three groups, each undergoing pre-training warm-up protocols incorporating NM, dynamic stretching, or static stretching. Following the warm-up protocols, the effects on flexibility and athletic performance will be evaluated and compared across the groups.

Detailed Description

Neural mobilization (NM) is an intervention that involves manual techniques or exercises designed to affect neural structures and surrounding tissues. It aims to restore normal neural mechanical and physiological responses to movement and posture by facilitating the sliding and tension of the nerves. NM techniques can be divided into two groups: gliding, which involves different joint movements, and tension, which extends the nerves in more than one joint. Although NM has been linked to various neurophysiological benefits, the precise mechanisms underlying its clinical efficacy remain uncertain.

The peripheral nervous system demonstrates the ability to adapt to changing mechanical forces encountered during daily activities and sports through nerve gliding and sliding mechanisms. Impaired gliding may result in increased neural stress and ischemic damage, affecting neural function. NM has been shown to improve lower extremity flexibility, which is crucial for enhancing functionality and minimizing injury risk in athletes. Neurodynamic techniques are frequently used to increase hamstring flexibility and reduce neural mechanosensitivity, contributing positively to athletic performance and injury prevention.

The aim of this study is to examine the comparative effects of static stretching, dynamic stretching and neural mobilization techniques used in pre-training warm-up sessions on flexibility and performance in collegiate football players.

Conditions

Sports Physical Therapy; Stretch; Stretch Injury

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Neural Mobilization Group (NMG)

Participants of NMG performed sciatic, femoral and peroneal nerve and lumbar region gliding. All glides include 4 sets of 10 repetitions, with each gliding cycle lasting 6 seconds, and a 1-minute rest between sets for both extremities.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Neural Mobilization Group (NMG)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Femoral nerve gliding: Mobilization of the femoral nerve will performed while the participant in the prone position and the hip hyperextended. Tension will applied by placing the knee in full flexion and the ankle in plantar flexion.

Sciatic nerve gliding: Participants will take turns while sitting with the trunk in thoracic flexion; perform knee extension/dorsiflexion with cervical extension and knee flexion/plantar flexion with cervical flexion. Tension will applied by flexing the hip and dorsiflexing the ankle to the point where stress will felt.

Peroneal nerve gliding: The participant will asked to maintain this position in a supine position by placing the ankle in inversion and plantar flexion. From a starting position consisting of ankle dorsiflexion, knee, and hip extension, the patient will return to the starting position by simultaneously performing ankle plantar flexion and inversion, full knee flexion, and 90 degrees of hip flexion.

Dynamic Stretching Group (DSG)

4 sets of 10 repetitions will be performed, each exercise cycle lasting 6 seconds, and a 1-minute rest period will be given between sets. All stretching exercises will be performed in two circuits.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Dynamic Stretching Group (DSG)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Exercises will include functional activities that provided dynamic stretching of the hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexor, extensor, abductor and adductor muscles, and gastrosoleus muscle. All stretching exercises will be performed in two circuits in an area of 15 m2. 4 sets of 10 repetitions will be performed, each exercise cycle lasting 6 seconds, and a 1-minute rest period will be given between sets. This process will be repeated for both extremities.

Static Stretching Group (SSG)

4 sets of 4 repetitions will be applied to the lumbar extensor, hamstring, quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles located in both extremities, each stretching will last for 15 seconds and a 1-minute rest period will be given between sets.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Static Stretching Group (SSG)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Static stretching exercises will be described to the participants as given below:

Standing quadriceps stretch: The participant will stand upright, fold one knee and bring the heel towards the buttock while holding the foot with one hand.

Modified hamstring stretching: The participant will be in a seated position with one leg straight and will place the other foot on the inside of the straight leg and reach forward.

Gastrocnemius stretching: The participant stands with feet 60-90 cm from the wall, leaning against the wall with both hands, keeping the back leg straight and the front leg slightly bent.

Adductor stretching: Participants will be in a sitting position with an erect spine, bending and releasing their knees with the soles of their feet touching.

Lumbar stretching: In a sitting position, participants keep one leg straight and place the other foot on the outside of the straight leg and rotate the body diagonally.

Interventions

Neural Mobilization Group (NMG)

Femoral nerve gliding: Mobilization of the femoral nerve will performed while the participant in the prone position and the hip hyperextended. Tension will applied by placing the knee in full flexion and the ankle in plantar flexion.

Sciatic nerve gliding: Participants will take turns while sitting with the trunk in thoracic flexion; perform knee extension/dorsiflexion with cervical extension and knee flexion/plantar flexion with cervical flexion. Tension will applied by flexing the hip and dorsiflexing the ankle to the point where stress will felt.

Peroneal nerve gliding: The participant will asked to maintain this position in a supine position by placing the ankle in inversion and plantar flexion. From a starting position consisting of ankle dorsiflexion, knee, and hip extension, the patient will return to the starting position by simultaneously performing ankle plantar flexion and inversion, full knee flexion, and 90 degrees of hip flexion.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Dynamic Stretching Group (DSG)

Exercises will include functional activities that provided dynamic stretching of the hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexor, extensor, abductor and adductor muscles, and gastrosoleus muscle. All stretching exercises will be performed in two circuits in an area of 15 m2. 4 sets of 10 repetitions will be performed, each exercise cycle lasting 6 seconds, and a 1-minute rest period will be given between sets. This process will be repeated for both extremities.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Static Stretching Group (SSG)

Static stretching exercises will be described to the participants as given below:

Standing quadriceps stretch: The participant will stand upright, fold one knee and bring the heel towards the buttock while holding the foot with one hand.

Modified hamstring stretching: The participant will be in a seated position with one leg straight and will place the other foot on the inside of the straight leg and reach forward.

Gastrocnemius stretching: The participant stands with feet 60-90 cm from the wall, leaning against the wall with both hands, keeping the back leg straight and the front leg slightly bent.

Adductor stretching: Participants will be in a sitting position with an erect spine, bending and releasing their knees with the soles of their feet touching.

Lumbar stretching: In a sitting position, participants keep one leg straight and place the other foot on the outside of the straight leg and rotate the body diagonally.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Between the ages of 18-25
• Not having had a lower or upper extremity injury in the last 3 months
• Not having had surgery in the last 6 months
• Playing amateur football regularly for at least 1 year

Exclusion Criteria

• Orthopedic, neurological, rheumatological or cardiorespiratory health problems that would prevent them from performing the tests

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 25 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Istanbul Medipol University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

gizem ergezen

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Istanbul Medipol University

Istanbul, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

E-10840098-772.02-2026

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id