Exercise TherapyNCT05678400
Comparison of the Immediate Effects of a Hypopressive Abdominal Exercise Program Versus a Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching Program on Hamstring Flexibility in Adults With Short Hamstring Syndrome
A study testing Hypopressive abdominal techniques and Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in people with Exercise Therapy and Physical Therapy Modalities, run by University of Vigo at 1 site in Spain.
Trial summary
A Randomised Controlled Trial was conducted to assess increases in hamstring flexibility using two different methods, one group of participants who were stretched with PNF techniques and the other group who performed Hypopressive Abdominal Techniques (HAT). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Exercise Therapy, Physical Therapy Modalities, Hamstring Muscles
- What is being tested?
- Hypopressive abdominal techniques and Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 19 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSpain
- Study dates
- 26 Mar 2023to 30 May 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants with less than 75° in the straight leg raise test.
Who cannot join
- History of hamstring injury within the last year.
- Pharmacological treatment or history of neurological, orthopaedic, growth or autoimmune disorders.
- Training to improve flexibility in the week prior to the intervention.
- Hypertension.
- Pregnant women.
- Inability to perform hypopressive abdominal techniques.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
A Randomised Controlled Trial was conducted to assess increases in hamstring flexibility using two different methods, one group of participants who were stretched with PNF techniques and the other group who performed Hypopressive Abdominal Techniques (HAT). Flexibility scores of both groups were obtained and compared using pre and post measurements of a single intervention.
- Being tested
- Hypopressive abdominal techniques, Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Hypopressive abdominal techniquesBehavioural
Both training protocols were carried out in a single intervention for each of the participants assigned to either the HAT or the PNF stretching group. The intervention began with the measurement of hip flexion using the EPR test, and ended with a post-intervention measurement of hip flexion to observe the effects of the treatment. All measurements, as well as the interventions for each of the patients in the two groups, were carried out by the same registered physiotherapist. In order to standardise an order of examination of the lower limbs in the EPR test, the right lower limb was assessed first, followed by the left lower limb. Likewise, the same order was standardised for stretching in the PNF group.
Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitationBehavioural
Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Hypopressive abdominal techniques | Experimental | All subjects were instructed by a registered physiotherapist on how to correctly perform the hypopressive abdominal techniques (HAT) in two familiarisation sessions of 45 minutes each before any action was taken. After the two sessions, all subjects who did not learn the exercise correctly were dropped from the study. The HAT training consisted of asking subjects in a standing position to perform a spinal elongation with neutral pelvis and scapular muscle activation for three normal respiratory cycles with slow and deep exhalation, and on the last breath, an expiratory apnoea with rib expansion and elevation was requested. In this session, following the guidelines described in the familiarisation sessions, two series of four dynamic HATs in standing position were performed: dynamic HATs in right tilt, dynamic HATs in left tilt, dynamic HATs in right rotation and dynamic HATs in left rotation. Receives: Behavioral: Hypopressive abdominal techniques |
| Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation | Active comparator | The therapist straddled that leg, and raised the other leg by placing the heel on the shoulder. The therapist then flexed the participant's hip, maintaining knee extension, to the point of discomfort indicated by the patient or the therapist's perceived end of range. In this position the leg was held straight for 10 seconds and immediately afterwards the participant was asked to perform a maximum isometric contraction for 5 seconds using the therapist's shoulder as counter resistance, thus keeping the leg straight at the same point. As soon as the contraction stops, the therapist flexes the hip again until a new range limit is reached, repeating the same protocol again. The total duration is 60 seconds, consisting of 4 passive stretches of 10 seconds each and 4 isometric contractions against resistance of 5 seconds each. Receives: Behavioral: Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Straight leg raise test.
The subject in supine decubitus. The patient's unscanned leg was kept stretched out on the stretcher by means of thigh straps. A digital inclinometer was placed on the other leg over the tibia before starting to lift the leg, in order to be able to quantify the degrees obtained during the test. The therapist will place one hand on the patient's heel holding the calcaneus to prevent rotation and the other on the patella to prevent the knee from flexing during the test. The examiner shall then perform a slow, progressive flexion of the hip with the knee extended, starting from 0° at rest and considering 90° when the lower limb is completely perpendicular to the examination couch. The angular value is taken as the maximum degree of flexion tolerated by the individual, the moment at which the pelvis begins to tilt in retroversion or when the examiner perceives a feeling of firm resistance.
Measured: Baseline changes at the end of the intervention (approximately one hour).
Secondary outcomes (1)
The Toe-Floor Distance test
The Toe-Floor Distance test was also used as a tool to measure the flexibility of the hamstring muscles. The subject stood on a platform without shoes and with feet hip-width apart. The subject was asked to lean forward, flexing the trunk as far as possible, keeping the knees, arms and fingers fully extended. The vertical distance between the tip of the middle finger and the platform was measured with a flexible tape measure and expressed in centimetres. The vertical distance between the platform and the tip of the middle finger was positive when the subject did not reach the platform and negative when the subject could reach further.
Measured: Baseline changes at the end of the intervention (approximately one hour).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jan 2023
- Study start26 Mar 2023
- Primary completion8 May 2023
- Study completion30 May 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Exercise TherapyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 19 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Vigo
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Pablo Hernandez-Lucas, University of Vigo
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05678400
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Andres TFM
- Status last verified
- Dec 2024
- First submitted
- 2 Jan 2023
- Last updated
- 1 Jan 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Jan 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Comparison of the Immediate Effects of a Hypopressive Abdominal Exercise Program Versus a Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching Program on Hamstring Flexibility in Adults With Short Hamstring Syndrome
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05678400
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Andres TFM
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 19 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of VigoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 26 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 8 May 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 May 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
A Randomised Controlled Trial was conducted to assess increases in hamstring flexibility using two different methods, one group of participants who were stretched with PNF techniques and the other group who performed Hypopressive Abdominal Techniques (HAT). Flexibility scores of both groups were obtained and compared using pre and post measurements of a single intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Hypopressive abdominal techniques | Experimental | Behavioral: Hypopressive abdominal techniquesAll subjects were instructed by a registered physiotherapist on how to correctly perform the hypopressive abdominal techniques (HAT) in two familiarisation sessions of 45 minutes each before any action was taken. After the two sessions, all subjects who did not learn the exercise correctly were dropped from the study. The HAT training consisted of asking subjects in a standing position to perform a spinal elongation with neutral pelvis and scapular muscle activation for three normal respiratory cycles with slow and deep exhalation, and on the last breath, an expiratory apnoea with rib expansion and elevation was requested. In this session, following the guidelines described in the familiarisation sessions, two series of four dynamic HATs in standing position were performed: dynamic HATs in right tilt, dynamic HATs in left tilt, dynamic HATs in right rotation and dynamic HATs in left rotation. |
| Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation | Active comparator | Behavioral: Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitationThe therapist straddled that leg, and raised the other leg by placing the heel on the shoulder. The therapist then flexed the participant's hip, maintaining knee extension, to the point of discomfort indicated by the patient or the therapist's perceived end of range. In this position the leg was held straight for 10 seconds and immediately afterwards the participant was asked to perform a maximum isometric contraction for 5 seconds using the therapist's shoulder as counter resistance, thus keeping the leg straight at the same point. As soon as the contraction stops, the therapist flexes the hip again until a new range limit is reached, repeating the same protocol again. The total duration is 60 seconds, consisting of 4 passive stretches of 10 seconds each and 4 isometric contractions against resistance of 5 seconds each. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Participants with less than 75° in the straight leg raise test.
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- History of hamstring injury within the last year.
- Pharmacological treatment or history of neurological, orthopaedic, growth or autoimmune disorders.
- Training to improve flexibility in the week prior to the intervention.
- Hypertension.
- Pregnant women.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Hypopressive abdominal techniquesBoth training protocols were carried out in a single intervention for each of the participants assigned to either the HAT or the PNF stretching group. The intervention began with the measurement of hip flexion using the EPR test, and ended with a post-intervention measurement of hip flexion to observe the effects of the treatment. All measurements, as well as the interventions for each of the patients in the two groups, were carried out by the same registered physiotherapist. In order to standardise an order of examination of the lower limbs in the EPR test, the right lower limb was assessed first, followed by the left lower limb. Likewise, the same order was standardised for stretching in the PNF group. | Behavioural | Hypopressive abdominal techniques |
| Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitationStretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation | Behavioural | Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation |
Primary outcome
Straight leg raise test.
Time frame: Baseline changes at the end of the intervention (approximately one hour).
The subject in supine decubitus. The patient's unscanned leg was kept stretched out on the stretcher by means of thigh straps. A digital inclinometer was placed on the other leg over the tibia before starting to lift the leg, in order to be able to quantify the degrees obtained during the test. The therapist will place one hand on the patient's heel holding the calcaneus to prevent rotation and the other on the patella to prevent the knee from flexing during the test. The examiner shall then perform a slow, progressive flexion of the hip with the knee extended, starting from 0° at rest and considering 90° when the lower limb is completely perpendicular to the examination couch. The angular value is taken as the maximum degree of flexion tolerated by the individual, the moment at which the pelvis begins to tilt in retroversion or when the examiner perceives a feeling of firm resistance.
1 secondary outcome
The Toe-Floor Distance test
Time frame: Baseline changes at the end of the intervention (approximately one hour).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Jan 2025.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Hypopressive abdominal techniques and Stretching of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in people with Exercise Therapy and Physical Therapy Modalities, run by University of Vigo at 1 site in Spain.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Jan 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Straight leg raise test. (time frame: Baseline changes at the end of the intervention (approximately one hour).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Jan 2025.