Psoas Major Muscle Intervention on Chronic Lumbar Pain in Cleaning Professionals.

June 25, 2026 updated by: Natália Maria Oliveira Campelo, Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto

Influence of the Stretching Technique on the Psoas Major Muscle on Chronic Lumbar Pain in Cleaning Professionals: Randomized Controlled Trial.

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to determine the effect of a psoas major muscle intervention on non-specific and chronic lumbar pain in cleaning professionals. It is expected that this intervention will reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms. This study aims to evaluate the effect of psoas major stretching techniques. To collect data, participants will rate their pain intensity on a numeric pain scale at rest and during maximal lumbar flexion. Secondary variables include lumbar flexion range of motion (ROM), assessed by the Schöber test, and hip ROM, which will be measured before and after the intervention using a digital goniometer.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Cleaning professionals are particularly vulnerable to musculoskeletal pain, predominantly low back pain due to intense occupational hazards like repetitive movements, heavy lifting in awkward postures, and prolonged standing. The psoas major muscle plays a critical role in this clinical context; morphological changes, such as muscle atrophy and fat infiltration, are commonly observed in low back pain patients. Furthermore, a shortened or asymmetrical psoas alters spinal biomechanics-often increasing lumbar lordosis and overloading facet joints-which strongly predisposes individuals to chronic pain and instability. Furthermore, a shortened or asymmetrical psoas alters spinal biomechanics-often increasing lumbar lordosis and overloading facet joints-which strongly predisposes individuals to chronic pain and instability.

This study aims to highlight the biomechanical importance of the iliopsoas muscle and evaluate the therapeutic impact of the stretching technique in reducing symptoms, improving mobility, and preventing functional limitations associated with iliopsoas dysfunction.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

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 Contact

  • Name: Natália MO Campelo, PhD
  • Phone Number: +351 222 061 000
  • Email: nmc@ess.ipp.pt

Study Locations

  • Portugal
      • Porto, Portugal, 4200-072
        • Escola Superior de Saúde do Porto
        • Contact:
          • Natália MO Campelo, PhD
          • Phone Number: +35122 206 1000
          • Email: nmc@ess.ipp.pt

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being a cleaning professional for at least 4 years
  • Report at least 1 episode of lumbar pain in the last 3 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any severe spinal condition (such as spondylolisthesis, spine fracture, etc.)
  • Any severe neurological or rheumatological condition
  • Pregnancy
  • Daily use of pain medication

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: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Control group
Other: Placebo
Patient is positioned supine at the edge of the table. The investigator places one hand on the participant's ipsilateral knee without applying any pressure or force, and the other hand on the contralateral knee for stabilization. This position is maintained for 30 seconds to match the duration of the experimental intervention. The technique was performed bilaterally (once on each side) to the control group.
Experimental: Experimental group
Psoas major stretching
Other: Psoas stretching technique
The patient is positioned supine at the edge of the table. The investigator places their hands on both of the participant's knees, applying gentle downward pressure on the ipsilateral knee to stretch the psoas major muscle. This stretch is held for 30 seconds and performed bilaterally (once on each side) to the experimental group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Low Back Pain Intensity at Rest Assessed Using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS, 0-10)
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.
Low back pain intensity at rest will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), a self-reported scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst imaginable pain." Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity and therefore a worse outcome.
Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lumbar Range of Motion Assessed Using the Schober Test
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.
Lumbar range of motion (ROM) will be assessed using the Schober Test at rest and during anterior lumbar flexion. The test measures lumbar spine mobility by quantifying the increase in distance between predefined anatomical landmarks during trunk flexion. Higher values indicate greater lumbar mobility and therefore a better outcome.
Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.
Hip Flexion Range of Motion Assessed Using a Digital Goniometer
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.
Hip flexion range of motion (ROM) will be assessed with the participant in the supine position using a digital goniometer. Measurements will be recorded in degrees (°). Higher values indicate greater hip flexion mobility and therefore a better outcome.
Baseline and immediately after completion of the intervention.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Natália MO Campelo, ESS

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 (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 7, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 25, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 25, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • OST1-022

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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