Effects of Nervous System Mobilization

Effect of Nervous System Mobilization on Heat, Cold and Mechanical Pain Thresholds and Lower Limb Flexibility

This study aims to compare the effect of tension neural mobilization versus sliding neural mobilization of the peroneal nerve on the heat and cold threshold, on pressure pain threshold and on flexibility both in the dominant lower limb (subjected to mobilization) and the non-dominant lower limb (not subjected to mobilization) in healthy young participants.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy Individuals
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Neural mobilization - tension.; Other: Neural mobilization - gliding

Detailed Description

Sixty young and healthy participants will be randomly allocated to receive tension neural mobilization (n=30) or sliding neural mobilization (n=30). Data on heat threshold, cold threshold, pressure pain threshold and lower limb flexibility will be collected before the intervention, immediately after the intervention and at least 24h after the intervention.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 52
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Portugal
  • Aveiro, Portugal, 3810-193
    • School of Health Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• naïve to nervous system mobilization;

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any surgery or trauma in the previous 6 months; neurological, cardiorespiratory or rheumatic pathology; cancer.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Neural mobilization - tension; It is anticipated that 30 participants will be in this group. They will receive tension type neural mobilization of the peroneal nerve in the dominant limb. This will consist of positioning the lower limb with inversion and plantar flexion of the ankle, extension of the knee and maximum flexion of the hip without pain. A physiotherapists will move the hip from this maximum position of flexion in direction to extension (for example if the participants reaches 80º of flexion the mobilization will be between 40º and 80º of flexion). Each participant will receive four series of 10 mobilizations with 1 minute rest between series.	Other: Neural mobilization - tension.; Neural mobilization in tension consists of using combinations of joint movement known to maximize the tension and lengthening of peripheral nervous structures. The intervention will be delivered in one session only.
Active Comparator: Neural mobilization - sliding; It is anticipated that 30 participants will be in this group. They will receive sliding neural mobilization of the peroneal nerve in the dominant limb. Each participant will receive four series of 10 mobilizations with 1 minute rest between series of the following combination of movement: from ankle dorsiflexion, knee extension and hip extension to ankle plantarflexion, knee and hip flexion.	Other: Neural mobilization - gliding; Gliding neural mobilization consists of using combinations of joint movement known to maximize the movement of the peripheral nerves in relation to adjacent structures. The intervention will be delivered in one session only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Range of motion of the Straight Leg Raising test	The hip is raised to maximum flexion and the degree of flexion is measured with universal goniometer	Baseline
Range of motion of the Straight Leg Raising test	The hip is raised to maximum flexion and the degree of flexion is measured with universal goniometer	Approximately 45 minutes after baseline measurements
Range of motion of the Straight Leg Raising test	The hip is raised to maximum flexion and the degree of flexion is measured with universal goniometer	At least 24 hours after baseline measurements

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Heat threshold	This is measured with a QSense instrument, which has thermode that is attached to the skin. The temperature in this thermode increases or decreases (as per the protocol being used) and the participants is holding a device to stop the temperature to increase/decrease when he/she first perceives it. The temperature perceived is the test result.	Baseline
Heat threshold	This is measured with a QSense instrument, which has thermode that is attached to the skin. The temperature in this thermode increases or decreases (as per the protocol being used) and the participants is holding a device to stop the temperature to increase/decrease when he/she first perceives it. The temperature perceived is the test result.	Approximately 45 minutes after baseline measurements
Heat threshold	This is measured with a QSense instrument, which has thermode that is attached to the skin. The temperature in this thermode increases or decreases (as per the protocol being used) and the participants is holding a device to stop the temperature to increase/decrease when he/she first perceives it. The temperature perceived is the test result.	At least 24 hours after baseline measurements
Cold threshold	This is measured with a QSense instrument, which has thermode that is attached to the skin. The temperature in this thermode increases or decreases (as per the protocol being used) and the participants is holding a device to stop the temperature to increase/decrease when he/she first perceives it. The temperature perceived is the test result.	Baseline
Cold threshold	This is measured with a QSense instrument, which has thermode that is attached to the skin. The temperature in this thermode increases or decreases (as per the protocol being used) and the participants is holding a device to stop the temperature to increase/decrease when he/she first perceives it. The temperature perceived is the test result.	Approximately 45 minutes after baseline measurements
Cold threshold	This is measured with a QSense instrument, which has thermode that is attached to the skin. The temperature in this thermode increases or decreases (as per the protocol being used) and the participants is holding a device to stop the temperature to increase/decrease when he/she first perceives it. The temperature perceived is the test result.	At least 24 hours after baseline measurements
Pressure pain threshold	This is measured using a pressure pain algometer. Pressure is made with this device against a specific body region (upper and lateral part of the dominant foot) until the participants perceives that the pressure changes to pain. The amount of pressure that the participants perceives as being painful is the test result.	Baseline
Pressure pain threshold	This is measured using a pressure pain algometer. Pressure is made with this device against a specific body region (upper and lateral part of the dominant foot) until the participants perceives that the pressure changes to pain. The amount of pressure that the participants perceives as being painful is the test result.	Approximately 45 minutes after baseline measurements
Pressure pain threshold	This is measured using a pressure pain algometer. Pressure is made with this device against a specific body region (upper and lateral part of the dominant foot) until the participants perceives that the pressure changes to pain. The amount of pressure that the participants perceives as being painful is the test result.	At least 24 hours after baseline measurements

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Aveiro University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Anabela Silva, PhD, University of Aveiro

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 19, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 20, 2017
• First Posted (Estimate): January 24, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 5, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 4, 2018
• Last Verified: April 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: NSM01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO