Progressive Loading Exercises and Conditioning Exercises on Calf Strain (runners)

Effects of Progressive Loading Exercises and Conditioning Exercises on Pain, Range of Motion and Functions in Calf Strain Among Runners

Calf pain is a common complaint among runners of all ages but is most frequent in masters athletes. The most common calf injury is a tear of the medial gastrocnemius muscle (Tennis Leg) but other structures including the lateral gastrocnemius, plantaris and soleus also may be the cause of muscular pain.There are multiple techniques for the management that involves loading the strained calf musculature through rest, taping techniques, and appropriate soft tissue massage techniques, modalities such as dry needling or western acupuncture can be popular amongst runners and may also be useful. Progressive loading is a principle of resistance training exercise program design that typically relies on increasing load to increase neuromuscular demand to facilitate further adaptations whereas Athletic performance is based on a number of skills that can be developed through a sports conditioning program. This particular program focuses on improving both muscular strength and power using a technique called post-activation potentiation (PAP), also commonly referred to as complex training.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Range of Motion, Pain, Sports Injuries, Stretching, Triceps Surae
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Progressive Loading Exercises

Detailed Description

Calf pain is a common complaint among runners of all ages but is most frequent in masters athletes. Calf pain in runners usually results from musculotendinous origins, with the gastrocnemius among the most common of all muscle injuries. The most common calf injury is a tear of the medial gastrocnemius muscle (Tennis Leg) but other structures including the lateral gastrocnemius, plantaris and soleus also may be the cause of muscular pain.There are multiple techniques for the management that involves loading the strained calf musculature through rest, taping techniques, and appropriate soft tissue massage techniques, modalities such as dry needling or western acupuncture can be popular amongst runners and may also be useful. Progressive loading is a principle of resistance training exercise program design that typically relies on increasing load to increase neuromuscular demand to facilitate further adaptations whereas Athletic performance is based on a number of skills that can be developed through a sports conditioning program. This particular program focuses on improving both muscular strength and power using a technique called post-activation potentiation (PAP), also commonly referred to as complex training.

A randomized clinical trial will be conducted at Pakistan sports board, Lahore . Non probability convenience sampling technique will be applied on 40 patients who will be allocated through simple random sampling into group A & group B to collect data. Group A will be given progressive loading exercises and group B will be given conditioning exercises along with stretching. The study will be completed within the time duration of six months. Primary Outcome measures of the research will be pain, range of motion, and functions. Data will be analyzed using SPSS software version 25. After assessing normality of data by Shapiro-wilk test, it will be decided either parametric or non-parametric test will be used within a group or between two groups.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab
    • Faisalābad, Punjab, Pakistan, 38000
      • Jawad club, Alfatah sports complex
    • Faisalābad, Punjab, Pakistan, 5400
      • Riphah International University, Raiwind Campus

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Athletes aged 18 years or above
• Pain and tenderness at the back of the lower leg
• self-reported pain ,spasm at back of thigh presenting during sport or at rest (unilateral or bilateral)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Radiating pain or pain with neurogenic and systemic origin
• History of lower limb fracture and surgery
• History of instability at knee or ankle
• Knee or ankle ligamentous or meniscal injury

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: progressive loading exercises; progressive loading exercises Progressive loading exercises & stretching protocol will be given. The exercises included are as follows; Standing calf raise double leg; Standing calf raise single leg 4 sets with 8 repetitions will be given. Session will be given thrice a week for 40 minutes.; Soleus wall sits double leg; Toe taps; Toe walks forward hops double	Procedure: Progressive Loading Exercises; At start of study, a formal educational session, lasting about 30 minutes will be given by the physiotherapist dealing with the treatment/interventions. Whole treatment plan will be given for six weeks. Pre and post intervention measurements will be taken.; Other Names: Conditioning Exercises
Experimental: Conditioning Exercises; conditioning exercises Conditioning exercises & stretching protocol will be given. (31); Standing calf raise; Seated calf raise; Calf press hold; Loaded plant walk; Single leg step hops up 4 sets with 8 repetitions will be given. Session will be given thrice a week for 40 minutes.	Procedure: Progressive Loading Exercises; At start of study, a formal educational session, lasting about 30 minutes will be given by the physiotherapist dealing with the treatment/interventions. Whole treatment plan will be given for six weeks. Pre and post intervention measurements will be taken.; Other Names: Conditioning Exercises

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
pain , range of motion, functions	these three variables will be measured during the study	10 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Amna Shahid, MS-DPT, Riphah International University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 10, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): February 10, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 4, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): March 8, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 8, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2024
• Last Verified: March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries; Athletic Injuries
• Other Study ID Numbers: amnashahid

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