Diaphragm Stretching Increases Spine and Thoracic Mobility

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Physical therapists have traditionally included various forms of manual therapy among the therapeutic approaches to spinal pathologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diaphragmatic stretching on spine and thoracic movement in healthy adults.

Detailed Description
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Spinal pain is a well recognized condition associated with significant personal and community burdens. Recent studies estimated the prevalence between 6 and 22% in neck pain, from 4-72% in thoracic pain and from 1.0% to 58.1% in low back pain, which increases with age. During the last decades numerous researches have been conducted on stretching effects, evidencing an increased muscle control, flexibility and range of motion. The main purpose of this investigation is to examine the effects of diaphragm stretching in spine and thoracic mobility in healthy subjects in order to apply the results in a specifics pathologies in future studies.

Official Title
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Diaphragm Stretching Technique Increases Spine Mobility and Thoracic Movement: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Diaphragm stretching.
* Other: Placebo.


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Healthy subjects Age: between 18 and 65 years old. Exclusion Criteria: Pathological subjects

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental group<br>43 people are recruited in order to the inclusion criteria for the study. They are healthy people. A diaphragm stretching technique was employed in this experimental group. | Other: Diaphragm stretching.<br>* A manual technique of diaphragm stretching during 7 minutes. The participants were situated in a seated position.<br>* Other names: Manual technique;|
| Placebo Comparator: Placebo group<br>37 healthy people were recruited in order to the inclusion criteria. | Other: Placebo.<br>* Disconnected ultrasound was used for the 7 min as sham treatment<br>* Other names: Placebo;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Assessment of lumbar mobility | Schober test is a flexion trunk test to evaluate lumbar spine mobility. During this test, while the patient is in the standing position, marks are made in the midpoint between the posterior superior iliac spines (PSISs) and 10 cm superiorly to this point. | up to 2 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Assessment of trunk mobility | In Finger to floor test, the subjects were stood on a stool and asked to flex the trunk forward in order to reach as far as possible with both hands, without blending their knees. | baseline, 2 months | 
| Cervical mobility | A Baseline Bubble Inclinometer, Fabrication Enterprises Incorporated, New York. USA, was used to measure de active range of motion of the cervical spine. The measurements were performed in two planes of movement, lateral flexion (frontal plane) the right and left side; and flexion-extension (sagittal plane) | baseline, 2 months. | 
| Abdominal and Thoracic Dimensions and Kinematics | Abdominal and thoracic dimensions and kinematics measurements can be used as an evaluative method for diaphragmatic breathing excursion to quantify possible alterations in thoracic capacity and abdominal and chest wall compliance as achieved by all expiratory and inspiratory muscles | baseline, 2 months. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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stretching, diaphragm, spinal movement, thoracic movement