Effects of Deep Friction Vs Stretching Techniques

Effect of Deep Transverse Friction Massage Versus Stretching Techniques on Performance Among Lebanese and Syrian Football Players

Flexibility, agility and muscle strength are key factors to either win or lose a game. Recently the effect of a new technique, deep transverse friction massage (DTFM), on muscle extensibility, strength and agility and injury occurrence has been examined, as compared to traditional stretching techniques.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Deep Transverse Friction Massage
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Deep transverse Friction Massage; Other: Dynamic stretching intervention; Other: Static stretching intervention

Detailed Description

Background: Flexibility, agility and muscle strength are key factors to either win or lose a game. Recently the effect of a new technique, deep transverse friction massage (DTFM), on muscle extensibility, strength and agility and injury occurrence has been examined, as compared to traditional stretching techniques.

Hypothesis/Purpose: To compare the effect of DTFM vs static and dynamic stretching techniques on hamstrings extensibility, agility and strength among Lebanese and Syrian football players.

Study Design: This study is a single-blinded prospective longitudinal randomized control trial (RCT).

Methods: Football players were randomized into three intervention groups. Straight leg raise (SLR), T-drill, and 1 repetition maximum (RM) tests were used to measure extensibility, agility and maximal muscle strength respectively.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 96
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Lebanon
  • Keserwan
    • Jounieh, Keserwan, Lebanon, 00961
      • Lebanese German University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male
• Football player
• Physically active (1 to 3 hours of football per week).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under the age of 18 and over 35 years who presented with an injury to the musculoskeletal system.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Deep Transverse Friction Massage group; Deep transverse friction massage group. Participants were taught by one of the examiners how to sit and perform pre-exercise self-massages on their tested leg musculotendinous junction (MTJ). The procedure consisted of applying friction massage by fingertips transversely to the hamstrings tendon, in a sitting position. The tendon was located over four finger widths proximal to the medial and lateral epicondyles of the femur. One examiner carefully monitored how the technique was performed to assure the precision of the application. This massage technique was applied over a duration of 30 seconds.	Other: Deep transverse Friction Massage; The procedure consisted of applying friction massage by fingertips transversely to the hamstrings tendon, in a sitting position. The tendon was located over four finger widths proximal to the medial and lateral epicondyles of the femur; Other Names: DTFM
Active Comparator: Dynamic stretching intervention; The dynamic stretching intervention was included for its positive effects on agility and muscle strength. Participants in this group, swung their tested leg actively into hip flexion while keeping their knee fully extended and their ankle fully plantar flexed until a stretch was felt in the posterior thigh. This was repeated over 30 seconds and included in the participant's warm-up phase.	Other: Dynamic stretching intervention; Participants in this group, swung their tested leg actively into hip flexion while keeping their knee fully extended and their ankle fully plantar flexed until a stretch was felt in the posterior thigh. This was repeated over 30 seconds and included in the participant's warm-up phase.
Active Comparator: Static stretching intervention; In the static stretching intervention, all participants laid on the floor in a supine position with both feet pointing upwards, with the tested limb in full knee extension and the foot in a relaxed position. The tested limb was moved up passively to a point of slight pain or discomfort at the posterior aspect of the thigh. This technique puts the hamstrings muscle at its greatest possible length. This position should be held for 30 seconds and was performed three times for a total of one minute and 30 seconds, 15 minutes after a match or training. The contralateral leg was stabilized by means of another collaborator in order to prevent compensation by rotation or elevation of the pelvis.	Other: Static stretching intervention; In the static stretching intervention, all participants laid on the floor in a supine position with both feet pointing upwards, with the tested limb in full knee extension and the foot in a relaxed position. The tested limb was moved up passively to a point of slight pain or discomfort at the posterior aspect of the thigh. This technique puts the hamstrings muscle at its greatest possible length. This position should be held for 30 seconds and was performed three times for a total of one minute and 30 seconds, 15 minutes after a match or training. The contralateral leg was stabilized by means of another collaborator in order to prevent compensation by rotation or elevation of the pelvis.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in flexibility was measured by Straight leg raise test.	Straight leg raise (SLR) is a widely used outcome measure used to assess the extensibility of the hamstrings muscle. SLR was first applied to all participants across the groups. All football players laid supine and taught to relax during testing. The tested limb was raised by a volunteer therapist with the knee in full extension and the foot in a relaxed position. The other lower limb was stabilized in a neutral hip rotation and full knee extension by another volunteer. The test was stopped once the therapist felt a strong resistance, or when the pelvic rotation was noted. Then, the assessor placed the goniometer over the greater trochanter, with one arm aligning the lateral femoral condyle, and the other arm aligning parallel to the ground, in a direction to the mid-axillary line and recorded the hip angle. The scores were recorded as degrees of range of movement.	baseline, on the first session; (2) 15 minutes, after the first intervention (acute phase); and (3) after four weeks
Change in agility was measured by T-Drill test.	The T-Drill has been proven to be a highly reliable testing measurement. Footballers were instructed on how to perform the T-Drill and on the test procedures. Then, they were instructed to jog for 2 min to warm-up. The participants performed the T-drill twice and the trial with the best time was taken for analysis by the mean of an alert assessor with a stopwatch. Results were measured in seconds and scores were interpreted as (1) excellent, < 9.5; (2) good, 9.5-10.5; (3) average, 10.5-11.5; and (4) poor, > 11.5.	baseline, on the first session; (2) 15 minutes, after the first intervention (acute phase); and (3) after four weeks
Change in Strength was measured by one repetition maximum (1RM) tests	After a rest time of 5 min, participants were guided to the knee flexors strengthening machine (hamstrings curl machine) for one repetition maximum (1RM) testing. Resistance was placed just proximal to the posterior part of the calcaneus bone. Footballers performed first specific warm-up, consisting of a set of ten repetitions of knee flexion, with a light load. Afterwards, for safety reasons, an estimation of hamstring 1RM was calculated using Brzycki formula [Weight lifted ÷ (1.0278 - (0.0278 × Number of repetitions)]. This formula exhibited a relatively low level of bias (1.6 to 0 kg). Maximal voluntary strength was recorded in kilograms.	baseline, on the first session; (2) 15 minutes, after the first intervention (acute phase); and (3) after four weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in injury occurrence rate	Measured by recording if any injury affected the players.	baseline, after 4 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mohammed Ali FAKHRO, DPT

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 31, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): July 31, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 4, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): May 30, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 14, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2019
• Last Verified: August 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Static Stretching; Manual Therapy; Dynamic Stretching
• Other Study ID Numbers: Deep transverse friction

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

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

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No