Clamshell and Frog Pump Exercises on Pain, Range of Motion, and Functional Disability

September 28, 2025 updated by: University of Lahore

Effects of Clamshell and Frog Pump Exercises on Pain, Range of Motion, and Functional Disability in Long-standing Sales Workers With Iliotibial Band Syndrome

The study will be randomized clinical trial. This study will be conducted at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. A sample size of 92 will be randomly allocated into two experimental groups, (46 participants in each group), by the lottery method. All the screened and willing participants were randomly allocated into two groups (Group A: Experimental group / Clamshell exercise + Conservative management, Group B: Comparative Group / Frog pump exercises + Conservative management) by lottery method. The participants randomly allocated to Group A will receive conservative treatment along with clamshell exercise. The treatment will start with routine physiotherapy comprised of TENS (setting was in a conventional mode, with a frequency of 80 Hz and a pulse duration of 50-100 μs. The intensity of TENS current was set to produce a strong tingling sensation, but without pain.) A hot pack will be used for 10 minutes and stretching exercises for the whole body as a warm-up, before starting the main treatment regime for 15 minutes. The clamshell starts with lying on the side, with legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Group B will receive conservative treatment along with Frog pump exercise. The treatment will start with routine physiotherapy comprised of TENS (setting was in a conventional mode, with a frequency of 80 Hz and a pulse duration of 50-100 μs. The intensity of TENS current was set to produce a strong tingling sensation, but without pain.) A hot pack will be used for 10 minutes and stretching exercises for the whole body as a warm-up, before starting the main treatment regime for 15 minutes. The Frog pump exercise will start with lying on your back, arms by sides, palms facing down. Data will be assessed by the assessor at baseline, and at the end of the 12th week.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Screening: All the participants will be assessed for the eligibility criteria. Patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria will be asked to sign the consent forms before entering them into the study.

Randomization and Allocation: All the screened and willing participants will be randomly allocated into two groups (Group A: Experimental group / Clamshell exercise + Conservative management, Group B: Comparative Group / Frog pump exercises + Conservative management) by lottery method.

Blinding: This study will be a single-blinded study in which the assessor will be blinded.

Intervention Group A: Experimental Group (Clamshell exercise + Conservative management) The participants randomly allocated to Group A will receive conservative treatment along with clamshell exercise. The treatment will start with routine physiotherapy comprised of TENS (setting was in a conventional mode, with a frequency of 80 Hz and a pulse duration of 50-100 μs. The intensity of TENS current was set to produce a strong tingling sensation, but without pain.) A hot pack will be used for 10 minutes and stretching exercises for the whole body as a warm-up, before starting the main treatment regime for 15 minutes. The clamshell starts with lying on the side, with legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Rest the head on the lower arm and use the top arm to steady the frame. Hipbones are stacked on top of one another, as there is a tendency for the top hip to rock backward. Engage the abdominals by pulling your belly button in, as this will help to stabilize the spine and pelvis. Keeping the feet touching, raise the upper knee as high as they can without shifting the hips or pelvis. They don't move their lower leg off the floor. Pause, and then return the upper leg to the starting position on the ground. 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set. The whole treatment session will start with 15 min warm-up and end with 5 min cool-down, delivered 3 times a week for 12 weeks yielding a total of 36 sessions within 3 months and the duration of each session will be of 35-45 minutes in Group A.

Group B: Comparative Group (Frog pump exercises + Conservative management) 19 Group B will receive conservative treatment along with Frog pump exercise. The treatment will start with routine physiotherapy comprised of TENS (setting was in a conventional mode, with a frequency of 80 Hz and a pulse duration of 50-100 μs. The intensity of TENS current was set to produce a strong tingling sensation, but without pain.) A hot pack will be used for 10 minutes and stretching exercises for the whole body as a warm-up, before starting the main treatment regime for 15 minutes. The Frog pump exercise will start with lying on your back, arms by sides, palms facing down. Alternatively, make fists with your hands, rest the elbows on the floor, and lift the fists so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Then bend the knees and press the soles of the feet together so that the legs create a "frog legs" or "butterfly" shape. Pressing the outer edges of the feet against the floor, engage the core, and use the glutes to lift the hips. Make sure the shoulders and upper back remain anchored to the floor. Pause, then slowly lower the hips to the floor. . 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set. The whole treatment session will start with 15 min warm-up and end with 5 min cool-down, delivered 3 times a week for 12 weeks yielding a total of 36 sessions within 3 months and the duration of each session will be of 35-45 minutes in Group B.

Outcome Variables:

  1. Pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale)
  2. Range of Motion:(Goniometry)
  3. Functional Disability (Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)) Data will be assessed by the assessor at baseline, and at the end of the 12th week.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

92

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 55150
        • University of Lahore Teaching Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Both Males and Females
  • Patients between the ages of 20 and 40
  • Work shift (at least 4 hours a day) 5 times a week
  • Positive Ober test
  • Patients who have ITB band syndrome in one or both legs

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women
  • Individuals have diseases or disorders that affect mobility.
  • Recent Fractures of the lower limb
  • Soft tissue injury of lower limb like ankle sprain etc.
  • Severe systemic illnesses like COPD, Angina, or MI.
  • Recent history of trauma
  • Any psychiatric illness like panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Clamshell exercise
The clamshell starts with lying on the side, with legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Rest the head on the lower arm and use the top arm to steady the frame. Hipbones are stacked on top of one another, as there is a tendency for the top hip to rock backward. Engage the abdominals by pulling your belly button in, as this will help to stabilize the spine and pelvis. Keeping the feet touching, raise the upper knee as high as they can without shifting the hips or pelvis. They don't move their lower leg off the floor. Pause, and then return the upper leg to the starting position on the ground. 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set.
Other: Clamshell exercise
The clamshell starts with lying on the side, with legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Rest the head on the lower arm and use the top arm to steady the frame. Hipbones are stacked on top of one another, as there is a tendency for the top hip to rock backward. Engage the abdominals by pulling your belly button in, as this will help to stabilize the spine and pelvis. Keeping the feet touching, raise the upper knee as high as they can without shifting the hips or pelvis. They don't move their lower leg off the floor. Pause, and then return the upper leg to the starting position on the ground. 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set.
Other: Frog pump exercises
The Frog pump exercise will start with lying on your back, arms by sides, palms facing down. Alternatively, make fists with your hands, rest the elbows on the floor, and lift the fists so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Then bend the knees and press the soles of the feet together so that the legs create a "frog legs" or "butterfly" shape. Pressing the outer edges of the feet against the floor, engage the core, and use the glutes to lift the hips. Make sure the shoulders and upper back remain anchored to the floor. Pause, then slowly lower the hips to the floor. . 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set.
Experimental: Frog pump exercises
The Frog pump exercise will start with lying on your back, arms by sides, palms facing down. Alternatively, make fists with your hands, rest the elbows on the floor, and lift the fists so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Then bend the knees and press the soles of the feet together so that the legs create a "frog legs" or "butterfly" shape. Pressing the outer edges of the feet against the floor, engage the core, and use the glutes to lift the hips. Make sure the shoulders and upper back remain anchored to the floor. Pause, then slowly lower the hips to the floor. . 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set.
Other: Clamshell exercise
The clamshell starts with lying on the side, with legs stacked and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Rest the head on the lower arm and use the top arm to steady the frame. Hipbones are stacked on top of one another, as there is a tendency for the top hip to rock backward. Engage the abdominals by pulling your belly button in, as this will help to stabilize the spine and pelvis. Keeping the feet touching, raise the upper knee as high as they can without shifting the hips or pelvis. They don't move their lower leg off the floor. Pause, and then return the upper leg to the starting position on the ground. 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set.
Other: Frog pump exercises
The Frog pump exercise will start with lying on your back, arms by sides, palms facing down. Alternatively, make fists with your hands, rest the elbows on the floor, and lift the fists so that your forearms are perpendicular to the floor. Then bend the knees and press the soles of the feet together so that the legs create a "frog legs" or "butterfly" shape. Pressing the outer edges of the feet against the floor, engage the core, and use the glutes to lift the hips. Make sure the shoulders and upper back remain anchored to the floor. Pause, then slowly lower the hips to the floor. . 20 reps will be done on each side. Each exercise will be performed in 3 sets of 10 repetitions with 1 minute of rest after every exercise set.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numeric Pain Rating Scale)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Numeric rating scales consist of a series of numbers rating pain intensity, typically from 0 to 10 or 0 to 100, with 0 being "no pain" and 10 or 100 "the worst pain imaginable."
12 weeks
Goniometry)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
A goniometer is an instrument that either measures an angle or allows an object to be rotated to a precise angular position.
12 weeks
Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)
Time Frame: 12 weeks
The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) is a questionnaire containing 20 questions about a person's ability to perform everyday tasks. The LEFS can be used by clinicians as a measure of patients' initial function, ongoing progress and outcome, as well as to set functional goals.
12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Lahore

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Waqar Ul Hassan, MS-MSK, University of Lahore

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 9, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 20, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

September 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 10, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 8, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

August 12, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

September 30, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 28, 2025

Last Verified

October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • REC-UOL-/241/08/24

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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