Neck Static Stretching Acutely Reduces Blood Pressure Through Reduction of Tissue Stiffness

NCT ID: NCT07197047

Last Updated: 2025-11-19

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 25 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-05-12
• Study Completion Date: 2025-07-28

Brief Summary

Stretching is usually done to improve flexibility and joint movement. Recent research suggests that stretching may also affect the body's heart and blood vessels. For example, stretching may help lower blood pressure, reduce stress in the nervous system, and improve how flexible or stiff blood vessels are.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. It can change based on how much blood the heart pumps and how tight or relaxed the small blood vessels are. Stretching may help relax these vessels and support the parasympathetic nervous system. This system helps the body stay calm and controls functions like heart rate and blood pressure. From blood pressure values, mean arterial pressure (MAP) can be derived using a standard formula. MAP represents the average arterial pressure across the entire cardiac cycle, encompassing both systole and diastole, and is determined by cardiac output in relation to peripheral vascular resistance, the resistance within the circulatory system that sustains blood pressure, regulates blood flow, and reflects an essential component of cardiac function.

The goal of this study was to test whether a short session of static stretching of the neck can lower blood pressure and MAP in healthy subjects. The investigators also measured tissue stiffness (how firm the tissue is) and heart rate variability (a marker of how the nervous system controls the heart). These measures may help explain why blood pressure and MAP change after stretching.

This study tested the hypothesis that static neck stretching may reduce blood pressure and MAP either by decreasing tissue stiffness, thereby facilitating blood flow through reduced peripheral resistance, or by shifting autonomic balance toward enhanced parasympathetic activity. Should the findings confirm the initial hypothesis of blood pressure and MAP reductions, stretching could represent a simple, practical, and effective strategy to support blood pressure and hémodynamic monitoring.

Detailed Description

Participants were recruited from the student population of the University of Palermo.

Conditions

Healthy; Healthy Participants; Healthy Subjects; Healthy Volunteers; Stretching; Stretch; Static Stretching

Study Design

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

Study Groups

SS

Neck static stretching

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Neck static stretching

Intervention Type: OTHER

The static stretching intervention targeted the right posterolateral region of the neck. The stretching protocol consisted of four sets of 45 seconds each, separated by 45-second rest intervals, for a total intervention time of 3 minutes. Seated in a chair, participants performed the stretch by gently flexing their head forward and to the left in an anterolateral direction, using their contralateral (left) hand to assist the movement and ensure selective stretching of the right posterolateral region of the neck. Participants were asked to achieve a subjective discomfort intensity of at least 8 out of 10 on the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 indicates "the strongest pain imaginable"

CC

Control Condition --\> participants sat silently on a chair without performing any stretching intervention

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Neck static stretching

The static stretching intervention targeted the right posterolateral region of the neck. The stretching protocol consisted of four sets of 45 seconds each, separated by 45-second rest intervals, for a total intervention time of 3 minutes. Seated in a chair, participants performed the stretch by gently flexing their head forward and to the left in an anterolateral direction, using their contralateral (left) hand to assist the movement and ensure selective stretching of the right posterolateral region of the neck. Participants were asked to achieve a subjective discomfort intensity of at least 8 out of 10 on the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 indicates "the strongest pain imaginable"

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• healthy male and female participants
• ≥ 18 years old

Exclusion Criteria

• orthopedic disorders
• neurological disorders
• metabolic disorders
• cardovascular disorders

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 55 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Palermo

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ewan Thomas

Ewan Thomas, Associate Professor in Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Palermo

Palermo, , Italy

Countries

Italy

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol: More Detailed Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan: Study Protocol with Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

ST-BP 306/2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id