Effects of Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercises in Patients With Piriformis Syndrome

March 16, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Effects of Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercises on Pain, Range of Motion and Lower Extremity Function in Patients With Piriformis Syndrome

The study was conducted to determine the effects of hip abductor strengthening exercises on pain, range of motion, and lower extremity function in patients with piriformis syndrome.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
48

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 40100
        • Hashir Ali clinic

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Males and Females between 18 and 45 .
  • Unilateral involvement, Onset of pain not > 2 weeks.
  • Grade 1-3 Tenderness at piriformis muscle.
  • Numeric pain rating scale>3and equal to, <6.
  • Any three positive test among Piriformis Test, Beatty Test, Freiberg Test, FAIR Test, Sign of Pace & Nagel.

Exclusion Criteria:

Positive Leagues' sign.

  • Any pathology or recent injury around hip, knee and SI joint .
  • Fracture of femur & hip joint dislocation.
  • Pain due to neurological, spinal or pelvic origin.
  • Limb length discrepancy .
  • Stenosis of spine and disc herniation .
  • Any postural abnormality/ deformity .
  • Tumors and facet joint pathology.
  • Congenital or acquired abnormality in the spinal column .
  • Pregnancy .
  • Neurological conditions like, CVA, Parkinson's disease, non-cooperative & subjects with psychological impairment .

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Arm 1: Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercise Group + conventional physiotherapy
Other: Progressive Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercises

Experimental Group (Hip Abductor Strengthening + Baseline Physiotherapy) A structured hip abductor strengthening program divided into three progressive phases over four weeks, along with baseline physiotherapy treatment.

Phase I (Week 1 - Non-weight bearing / Isolated activation) Exercises: Bridging, Side-lying clam exercises, Side-lying hip abduction, Towel squeeze Dosage: 3 × 15 repetitions Phase II (Week 2 - Weight-bearing strengthening) Exercises: Squats, Side-stepping, Single-limb sit-to-stand, Step-up/Step-down, Leg press Dosage: 3 × 15 repetitions Phase III (Weeks 3-4 - Dynamic/Functional training) Exercises: Forward lunges, Double-limb jump Dosage: Week 3 → 3 × 15 repetitions Week 4 → 5 × 20 repetitions

Other: conventional physiotherapy treatment

conventional Physiotherapy treatment

  • Hydro-collateral pack for 10 minutes over piriformis muscle (40°C)
  • Pulsed ultrasound for 10 minutes at 2.25 W/cm²
  • Piriformis stretching maneuver (20-second hold × 10 repetitions)
Active Comparator: Arm 2: Conventional Physiotherapy Group
Other: conventional physiotherapy treatment

conventional Physiotherapy treatment

  • Hydro-collateral pack for 10 minutes over piriformis muscle (40°C)
  • Pulsed ultrasound for 10 minutes at 2.25 W/cm²
  • Piriformis stretching maneuver (20-second hold × 10 repetitions)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)
Time Frame: From enrolment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) is a self-reported questionnaire used to assess lower extremity functional status in individuals with musculoskeletal conditions. It consists of 20 items related to daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, squatting, and running. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = extreme difficulty/unable to perform, 4 = no difficulty), with a maximum total score of 80. Higher scores indicate better functional ability. The LEFS is widely used due to its high reliability, validity, and responsiveness in evaluating functional improvement over time.
From enrolment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
Time Frame: from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks
The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is a subjective measure used to assess pain intensity. Patients are asked to rate their current pain level on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "worst imaginable pain." It is simple, quick to administer, and clinically reliable for monitoring changes in pain over time. A reduction of 2 points or more is generally considered clinically meaningful improvement
from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hip Abduction range of motion
Time Frame: from enrollment to the end of treatment.
Changes in hip abduction range of motion at baseline and 4 weeks of intervention were measured using a universal goniometer.
from enrollment to the end of treatment.
Hip external roration ROM
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks.
Changes in hip external rotation range of motion at baseline and 4 weeks of intervention were measured using a universal goniomete
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Riphah International University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Humera Mubashar, Ms-OMPT, Riphah International University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 13, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 31, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 16, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 16, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • REC/RCR & AHS/24/01113

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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