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Effectivity of Slackline-Training in Physiotherapy

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Healthy Volunteers
Persons With no Known Significant Health Problems
Interventions
Device: Slackline
Device: Wobbling Board
Device: Fix visual anchor
Device: Pre-training
Device: Moving visual anchor
Device: Post-training
Device: Slackline vs. standing-on-1-leg vs. control
Registration Number
NCT02218086
Lead Sponsor
THIM - die internationale Hochschule für Physiotherapie
Brief Summary

Slacklines have been established in the last few years as a training equipment in sports such as climbing, skiing and others to increase postural control. Furthermore, slacklines are used in physiotherapy in terms of stabilizing training such as wobbling boards.

However, if slackline training is effective in rehabilitation has not been investigated yet. Therefore, to goal of this study will be to investigate the effectivity of slackline training in physiotherapy compared to a wobbling board with a single tilting axis.

Outcomes will be electromyographic-data and the kinetics of the whole body.

Detailed Description

Comparing beginners pre-training (less than 1 hour of slackline training) to post-training (9 times 30 minutes of individual, controlled training) to investigate the effects of balance training on a slackline.

Comparing beginners (less than 1 hour of slackline training) to professionals (more than 100 hours of slackline training) to investigate differences in balance strategies.

Comparing professionals during slacklining under two different conditions of their visual anchor: fix vs. moving. This to investigate the role of the visual system during balance reactions.

Comparing slackline training versus a demanding training standing-on-1-leg. We do compare Y-balance-performance, performance on the MFT challenge disc, each compared with simultanousely recording body Sway (lower trunk) with SwayStar.

Muscle activity will be investigated by absolute amplitude (mV) and frequency to get an idea of which muscle fibers are acting during the task and how the activation pattern may change through motor learning.

Body kinematics should show movement strategies especially differences in roll and pitch control of the body.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
50
Inclusion Criteria
  • young healthy, 18-30 years old
  • small operations on muscle-skeletal-system on upper extremities
  • birth control pill
Exclusion Criteria
  • any actual injuries on lower extremities
  • injuries on lower extremities less than one year back
  • operations of muscle-skeletal-system at shoulder/neck, trunk/pelvis and lower extremities
  • fear of falling
  • any medications
  • cardiac pacemaker or cardiac arrhythmia
  • pregnancy
  • skeletal anomaly
  • appendicitis less then 2 years back

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
professionalsMoving visual anchorbalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds balancing on the slackline with a fix visual anchor / moving visual anchor 3 times by 30 seconds
professionalsWobbling Boardbalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds balancing on the slackline with a fix visual anchor / moving visual anchor 3 times by 30 seconds
beginnersSlacklinebalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds pre-training compared to post-training
beginnersPost-trainingbalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds pre-training compared to post-training
professionalsFix visual anchorbalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds balancing on the slackline with a fix visual anchor / moving visual anchor 3 times by 30 seconds
beginnersPre-trainingbalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds pre-training compared to post-training
beginnersSlackline vs. standing-on-1-leg vs. controlbalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds pre-training compared to post-training
professionalsSlacklinebalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds balancing on the slackline with a fix visual anchor / moving visual anchor 3 times by 30 seconds
beginnersWobbling Boardbalancing on the slackline / wobbling board 3 times by 30 seconds pre-training compared to post-training
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Muscle activity using surface electromyography device. 1. measuring amplitude of muscle activation in mV (millivolt) 2. measuring frequency pattern of muscle activation to distinguish /detect activation of slow and fast muscle fibersaverage of 6 weeks

single investigation for arms:

1. BEGINNERS:

a. slackline compared to wobble board

2. PROFESIONALS:

1. slackline compared to wobble board

2. fix visual anchor compared to moving visual anchor

double investigation: 1. BEGINNERS

a. pre-training compared to post-training, expected training period average of 6 weeks, totally 9 trainings of 30 minutes each

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Whole body kinematics (composite outcome measure): a. calculating joint angles [deg & deg/s] b. calculating absolute and relative body part movements (such as trunk, pelvis, head): tilts & translations [mm, mm/s]average of 6 weeks

single investigation for arms:

BEGINNERS:

a. slackline compared to wobble board

PROFESIONALS:

slackline compared to wobble board fix visual anchor compared to moving visual anchor

double investigation: 1. BEGINNERS

a. pre-training compared to post-training, expected training period average of 6 weeks, totally 9 trainings of 30 minutes each

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Thim van der Laan University College Physiotherapy

🇨🇭

Landquart, GR, Switzerland

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