Diaphragm Stretching Increases Spine and Thoracic Mobility

Diaphragm Stretching Technique Increases Spine Mobility and Thoracic Movement: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Physical therapists have traditionally included various forms of manual therapy among the therapeutic approaches to spinal pathologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diaphragmatic stretching on spine and thoracic movement in healthy adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Diaphragm stretching.; Other: Placebo.

Detailed Description

Spinal pain is a well recognized condition associated with significant personal and community burdens. Recent studies estimated the prevalence between 6 and 22% in neck pain, from 4-72% in thoracic pain and from 1.0% to 58.1% in low back pain, which increases with age. During the last decades numerous researches have been conducted on stretching effects, evidencing an increased muscle control, flexibility and range of motion. The main purpose of this investigation is to examine the effects of diaphragm stretching in spine and thoracic mobility in healthy subjects in order to apply the results in a specifics pathologies in future studies.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Granada, Spain, 18071
    • Faculty of Health Sciences. University of Granada.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy subjects
• Age: between 18 and 65 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pathological subjects

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental group; 43 people are recruited in order to the inclusion criteria for the study. They are healthy people. A diaphragm stretching technique was employed in this experimental group.	Other: Diaphragm stretching.; A manual technique of diaphragm stretching during 7 minutes. The participants were situated in a seated position.; Other Names: Manual technique
Placebo Comparator: Placebo group; 37 healthy people were recruited in order to the inclusion criteria.	Other: Placebo.; Disconnected ultrasound was used for the 7 min as sham treatment; Other Names: Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of lumbar mobility	Schober test is a flexion trunk test to evaluate lumbar spine mobility. During this test, while the patient is in the standing position, marks are made in the midpoint between the posterior superior iliac spines (PSISs) and 10 cm superiorly to this point.	up to 2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Assessment of trunk mobility	In Finger to floor test, the subjects were stood on a stool and asked to flex the trunk forward in order to reach as far as possible with both hands, without blending their knees.	baseline, 2 months
Cervical mobility	A Baseline Bubble Inclinometer, Fabrication Enterprises Incorporated, New York. USA, was used to measure de active range of motion of the cervical spine. The measurements were performed in two planes of movement, lateral flexion (frontal plane) the right and left side; and flexion-extension (sagittal plane)	baseline, 2 months.
Abdominal and Thoracic Dimensions and Kinematics	Abdominal and thoracic dimensions and kinematics measurements can be used as an evaluative method for diaphragmatic breathing excursion to quantify possible alterations in thoracic capacity and abdominal and chest wall compliance as achieved by all expiratory and inspiratory muscles	baseline, 2 months.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad de Granada
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: M. Carmen Valenza, PH MD, Department of Physical Therapy. University of Granada.

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Gonzalez-Alvarez FJ, Valenza MC, Torres-Sanchez I, Cabrera-Martos I, Rodriguez-Torres J, Castellote-Caballero Y. Effects of diaphragm stretching on posterior chain muscle kinematics and rib cage and abdominal excursion: a randomized controlled trial. Braz J Phys Ther. 2016 Jun 16;20(5):405-411. doi: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0169.

Helpful Links

• González-ÁlvarezFJ, ValenzaMC, Torres-SánchezI, Cabrera-MartosI, Rodríguez-TorresJ, CastelloteY.Effects of diaphragm stretching on posterior chain muscle kinematics and rib cage and abdominal excursion: a randomized controlled trial. BrazJPhysTher.2016

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: June 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 17, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 19, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): December 20, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 1, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 30, 2016
• Last Verified: October 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: stretching, diaphragm, spinal movement, thoracic movement
• Other Study ID Numbers: DF0037UG

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided