Buerger-Allen Exercises and Peripheral Circulation in Sedentary Office Workers (BAE-CIRC)

Acute Effects of Buerger-Allen Exercises on Lower Extremity Circulatory Parameters in Sedentary Office Workers: A Single-Group Pretest-Posttest Clinical Trial

This study aims to evaluate the acute effects of Buerger-Allen exercises on lower extremity circulation in sedentary office workers. Prolonged sitting is associated with reduced venous return, impaired peripheral circulation, and endothelial dysfunction. Buerger-Allen exercises are simple position-based exercises designed to enhance arterial blood flow, venous return, and tissue perfusion. Thirty-five healthy sedentary adults aged 18 to 45 years will participate in this single-group pretest-posttest clinical trial. Skin surface temperature, capillary refill time, ankle-brachial index, peripheral oxygen saturation, and heart rate will be measured before and after a single 20-minute exercise session. The findings may support the use of Buerger-Allen exercises as a practical, low-cost physiotherapy strategy to improve peripheral circulation and reduce the adverse vascular effects of prolonged sitting.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Sedentary Behavior; Vascular Function; Peripheral Circulation
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Buerger-Allen Exercise Program

Detailed Description

Sedentary behavior and prolonged sitting are associated with impaired venous return, reduced peripheral blood flow, endothelial dysfunction, and increased cardiovascular risk. Office workers who remain seated for extended periods may experience lower extremity discomfort, edema, and early circulatory impairment.

Buerger-Allen exercises are position-based therapeutic exercises that involve sequential elevation, dependency, and horizontal rest of the lower limbs. These exercises are designed to promote arterial inflow, facilitate venous return, and enhance tissue perfusion without requiring specialized equipment. Previous studies have demonstrated beneficial effects in patients with peripheral vascular disease and diabetes, but evidence regarding their acute effects in healthy sedentary adults is limited.

This study will use a quasi-experimental single-group pretest-posttest design to investigate the immediate effects of Buerger-Allen exercises on lower extremity circulation in sedentary office workers. A total of 35 participants aged 18 to 45 years will be recruited from Istanbul Gelisim University. All participants will complete a standardized 20-minute Buerger-Allen exercise protocol.

Primary outcome measures will include skin surface temperature assessed with infrared thermometry, capillary refill time, ankle-brachial index, peripheral oxygen saturation, and heart rate. Measurements will be performed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 10 minutes after the intervention.

The study is expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of a simple and low-cost physiotherapy intervention for improving peripheral circulation and preventing the adverse vascular effects associated with prolonged sedentary behavior.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 35
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Busenur KARAGÖZ, MSc; Phone Number: +90 534 062 71 24; Email: buse.nur97e@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Gökay ÇAKIROĞLU, PT; Phone Number: +90 542 519 42 55; Email: gcakiroglu@gelisim.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul Gelisim University
    • Contact: Busenur KARAGÖZ, MSc; Phone Number: +90 534 062 71 24; Email: buse.nur97e@gmail.com
    • Contact: Gökay ÇAKIROĞLU, PT

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy sedentary office workers
• Age between 18 and 45 years
• Sitting for at least 6 hours per day for work-related activities
• Not meeting regular physical activity recommendations
• Willing to participate voluntarily and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of peripheral arterial disease, deep vein thrombosis, or other vascular disorders
• Cardiovascular, neurological, or musculoskeletal conditions that may affect lower extremity circulation or prevent exercise participation
• Diabetes mellitus
• Current smoking
• Pregnancy
• Use of medications that may significantly affect peripheral circulation
• Lower extremity injury or surgery within the previous 6 months
• Participation in regular structured exercise programs

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Buerger-Allen Exercise Group; Participants will perform a single standardized 20-minute Buerger-Allen exercise session. Lower extremity circulatory parameters will be assessed before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 10 minutes after the intervention.

Behavioral: Buerger-Allen Exercise Program; The intervention consists of a standardized Buerger-Allen exercise protocol involving three sequential positions: (1) elevation of the lower limbs above heart level to facilitate venous return, (2) dependency of the lower limbs to promote arterial blood flow, and (3) horizontal supine rest to stabilize circulation. The complete exercise session lasts approximately 20 minutes and is performed once. Lower extremity circulatory parameters are assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 10 minutes after the intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Skin Surface Temperature	Skin surface temperature measured with an infrared thermometer in degrees Celsius (°C). Higher values indicate increased peripheral blood flow and tissue perfusion.	Baseline, Immediately After Intervention, and 10 Minutes After Intervention
Capillary Refill Time	Capillary refill time measured in seconds. Shorter times indicate improved peripheral microcirculation and tissue perfusion.	Baseline, Immediately After Intervention, and 10 Minutes After Intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)	Ratio of ankle to brachial systolic blood pressure used to assess lower extremity arterial circulation. Higher values within the normal range indicate better arterial perfusion.	Baseline, Immediately After Intervention, and 10 Minutes After Intervention
Peripheral Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂)	Oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry and expressed as a percentage (%). Higher values indicate improved peripheral oxygenation.	Baseline, Immediately After Intervention, and 10 Minutes After Intervention
Heart Rate	Heart rate measured by pulse oximetry and expressed in beats per minute (bpm).	Baseline, Immediately After Intervention, and 10 Minutes After Intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Istanbul Gelisim University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Busenur KARAGÖZ, MSc, Istanbul Gelisim University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 15, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 15, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 9, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Sedentary Behavior; Physiotherapy; Peripheral Circulation; Ankle-Brachial Index; Infrared Thermography; Capillary Refill Time; Office Workers; Buerger-Allen Exercise
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Sedentary Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: IGU-FTR-BAE-2026-001; 2209A-2025Fall-Submitted (Other Identifier: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be made publicly available because no formal data-sharing plan has been established for this investigator-initiated academic study.

Drug and device information, study documents

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