The Acute Effects of Different Stretching Techniques

The Acute Effects of Different Hamstring Muscle Stretching Techniques on Reducing Muscle Resistance to Movement by Ultrasound Elastography

The flexibility of the hamstring muscles is very important and many stretching methods are applied on the hamstring muscles for reducing muscle resistance on movement. The objective of this study was to investigate the acute effects of static stretching and the Mulligan traction straight leg raise (TSLR) technique administered to the hamstring muscles on reducing its resistance to movement by using ultrasound elastography in healthy individuals.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle Stretching Exercises; Hamstring Muscles
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Static stretching; Behavioral: Mulligan TSLR technique

Detailed Description

The study will be included 22 healthy male volunteers. Static stretching will be administered to the hamstring muscles in the first group and the Mulligan TSLR technique will be administered on the same muscle in the second group. Active knee extension angles of the individuals will be evaluated by a digital goniometer and muscle elasticity will be assessed by ultrasound elastography.

Acute effects of Mulligan TSLR on reducing muscle resistance to movement will be evaluated by ultrasound elastography for the first time in this study. In our study, it was planned to examine the acute effects of static stretching and Mulligan TSLR techniques on reducing muscle resistance to movement by ultrasound elastography in healthy individuals with hamstring shortness.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Ankara, Turkey, 06520
    • Yuksek Ihtisas University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 25 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants with short hamstring muscles (active knee extension angle below 70 degree),
• Without knee, hip, ankle, or waist pathology,
• Who had not undergone any surgery on the lower extremity were included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals with musculoskeletal, neurological, or vestibular problems,
• Bone pathologies,
• Joint laxity,
• Diabetes,
• Metabolic syndrome,
• Arthritic or inflammatory problems were excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: SINGLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Static stretching; Static stretching will be administered to the hamstring muscles in the first group.	Behavioral: Static stretching; Static stretching exercise will be performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist as 30 seconds of stretching and 15 seconds of rest with 10 repetitions, and the individuals will be asked to participate in the exercise actively.
EXPERIMENTAL: Mulligan TSLR technique; The Mulligan TSLR technique will be administered on the same muscle in the second group.	Behavioral: Mulligan TSLR technique; Mulligan TSLR will be applied by a physiotherapist in 3 repetitions with the patient in the supine position.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The evaluation of muscle flexibility	The evaluation of muscle flexibility will be made using the ultrasound elastography method by a radiologist.	Five minutes after the application

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Range of motion (ROM)	Active knee extension angles of the individuals will be measured using a digital goniometer by a physiotherapist.	Five minutes after the application

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yuksek Ihtisas University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Cini A, de Vasconcelos GS, Lima CS. Acute effect of different time periods of passive static stretching on the hamstring flexibility. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2017;30(2):241-246. doi: 10.3233/BMR-160740.
• Kerkhoffs GM, van Es N, Wieldraaijer T, Sierevelt IN, Ekstrand J, van Dijk CN. Diagnosis and prognosis of acute hamstring injuries in athletes. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2013 Feb;21(2):500-9. doi: 10.1007/s00167-012-2055-x. Epub 2012 May 24.
• Rancour J, Holmes CF, Cipriani DJ. The effects of intermittent stretching following a 4-week static stretching protocol: a randomized trial. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Nov;23(8):2217-22. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b869c7.
• Yildirim MS, Ozyurek S, Tosun O, Uzer S, Gelecek N. Comparison of effects of static, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and Mulligan stretching on hip flexion range of motion: a randomized controlled trial. Biol Sport. 2016 Mar;33(1):89-94. doi: 10.5604/20831862.1194126. Epub 2016 Feb 8.
• Umegaki H, Ikezoe T, Nakamura M, Nishishita S, Kobayashi T, Fujita K, Tanaka H, Ichihashi N. Acute effects of static stretching on the hamstrings using shear elastic modulus determined by ultrasound shear wave elastography: Differences in flexibility between hamstring muscle components. Man Ther. 2015 Aug;20(4):610-3. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2015.02.006. Epub 2015 Mar 2.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): February 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): June 30, 2020
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): July 5, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 17, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 17, 2020
• First Posted (ACTUAL): June 22, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): December 24, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 22, 2020
• Last Verified: December 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Hamstrings; Ultrasound elastography; Stretching exercises
• Other Study ID Numbers: Kamile UZUN AKKAYA

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