Clinical trial NCT06198036: Effects of Hold-Relax and Muscle Energy Techniques for Hamstring Flexibility
Official title: Comparative Effects of Hold-Relax and Muscle Energy Techniques for Hamstring Flexibility In School Going Children
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Child Development
Keywords: METs
Hamstring flexibility
School going children
Lead sponsor: Riphah International University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-01-10
Enrollment: 116
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 5
Maximum age (years): 12
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: The study will be Randomized Clinical Trial to compare between the immediate effects of hold-relax Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation and Muscle Energy Technique (RI) for hamstring flexibility in school. Participants meeting the pre-determind inclusion and exclusion criteria will be divided into two groups going children
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The most important aspect of physical fitness is flexibility, which can be greatly impacted by bad posture. Long periods of sitting in school going children can cause the hamstring muscles to shorten because they bend the knee. There are numerous methods for improving hamstring flexibility, but very few of them produce immediate results. The purpose of this study will be to compare between the immediate effects of hold-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and muscle energy technique (MET) for hamstring flexibility in school going children. This will be the randomized clinical trial in which total time of six month will be utilized after the approval from BASR. Data will be collected from Unique Science School Al-Rehman Campus, Lahore. 106 participants will be taken with 05-12 years of age through purposive sampling technique. Participants will be divided into two equal groups. Participants in group A will be given hold-relax PNF and the group B will underwent METs (reciprocal inhibition). Hamstring ROM will be assessed through AKET. Measurements will be taken by goniometer. Wong-Baker faces pain scale (WBFPS) and Timed 'Up and Go' (TUG) test will be used to evaluate pain and functional mobility respectively. Data will be analyzed on SPSS version 25. Results after statistical analysis will show which technique is more effective and will have best outcomes.

Detailed description: The most important aspect of physical fitness is flexibility, which can be greatly impacted by bad posture that might occur from a sedentary lifestyle of a person and a reduction in the soft tissues' flexibility cause serious musculoskeletal injuries. Long periods of sitting in school going children can cause the hamstring muscles to shorten because they bend the knee. There are numerous methods for improving hamstring flexibility, but very few of them produce immediate results. The literature demonstrated that the two most successful stretching methods to compare were hold-relax and MET but there is paucity to determine their immediate effectiveness.

The purpose of this study will be to compare between the immediate effects of hold-relax proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and muscle energy technique (MET) for hamstring flexibility in school going children and to determine which strategy improves hamstring flexibility in school-aged children the fastest and with the best results. This will be the randomized clinical trial in which total time of six month will be utilized after the approval from BASR. Data will be collected from Unique Science School Al-Rehman Campus, Lahore. 106 participants will be taken with 05-12 years of age through purposive sampling technique. Participants will be divided into two equal groups. Participants in group A will be given hold-relax PNF and the group B will underwent METs (reciprocal inhibition). Hamstring ROM will be assessed through AKET. Measurements will be taken by goniometer. Wong-Baker faces pain scale (WBFPS) and Timed 'Up and Go' (TUG) test will be used to evaluate pain and functional mobility respectively. Data will be analyzed on SPSS version 25. Results after statistical analysis will show which technique is more effective and will have best outcomes

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria

* Age 5-12 years children
* Gender (both male and female)
* Normal children
* Hamstring tightness (minimum degree \<160 degrees

Exclusion Criteria

* Regular athletes
* Past pathology
* Post fracture of limb
* Leg length discrepancy
* History of spinal cord injury
* Presence of physical deformities
* Subject not willing to participate
* Subject using lower limb prosthesis or orthotic device

Primary outcomes:
measure: Goniometer
timeFrame: eight weeks
measure: Active Knee Extension Test (AKET)
timeFrame: eight weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Wong Baker Faces Pain Scale (WBFPS)
timeFrame: Eight weeks
measure: Timed 'Up and Go' Test (TUG)
timeFrame: Eight Weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Lahore
country: Pakistan
facility: Riphah International University
state: Punjab
Study officials:
affiliation: Riphah International University
name: Sunnia Mudabber, MS*
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Funk D, Swank AM, Adams KJ, Treolo D. Efficacy of moist heat pack application over static stretching on hamstring flexibility. J Strength Cond Res. 2001 Feb;15(1):123-6.