Impact of Virtual Reality on Flexibility, Muscle Strength and Gait Parameters in Sedentary Adults With Hamstring Shortening: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Cairo University
- Enrollment
- 84
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Muscle strength
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Tightness of hamstring muscle is known as a reduction in range of motion accompanied by a sensation of restriction in the posterior aspect of thigh. Numerous reasons can cause it, such as genetic susceptibility, compensatory tightness due to persistent abnormalities, and muscular strain. Tight hamstrings cause a small amount of knee flexion during exercise and require comparatively high quadriceps efforts to offset the hamstrings' passive resistance. This could result in knee joint pain that affects gait and raise the reaction forces at the patellofemoral joint.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 30 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •Sedentary adults with tightness of hamstring muscle with the degree of flexion for knee joint more than 20° throughout active knee extension (AKE) test.
- •Their age between 18 and 30 years.
- •BMI less than 30 kg/ m2 .
- •Sedentary lifestyle that includes sitting on the chair for long period of time for minimum 6 hours per day, 5 days/week for 6 months minimally.
- •Participants who did not engaged in a physiotherapy programs in the previous 6 months.
- •Absence of fractures, injuries or medications (such as analgesics or muscle relaxants) that may affect the results of the study.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Any neurological diseases (such as; severe disc prolapse and radiating pain).
- •Injury of hamstring in the previous 2 years.
- •History of knee injury.
- •Fracture in lower extremity or the spine.
- •Surgery in the spine.
- •Unequal leg length > 2cm.
- •Congenital deformity.
- •Orthopedic disorders such as patellofemoral pain syndrome, musculoskeletal pain, psychiatric problem.
- •Any systemic disease, hearing or visual deficits, cognitive, or cardiovascular complications, and pregnancy.
Arms & Interventions
Group B (control group)
Participants will receive a traditional physical therapy program only, 2 times per week for 5 weeks.
Intervention: Traditional physical therapy programme (Other)
Group A (Virtual reality group)
Participants will receive virtual reality (VR) in addition to the traditional physical therapy program 2 times/week for 5 weeks.
Intervention: Virtual reality (Device)
Group A (Virtual reality group)
Participants will receive virtual reality (VR) in addition to the traditional physical therapy program 2 times/week for 5 weeks.
Intervention: Traditional physical therapy programme (Other)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Muscle strength
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Microfit hand-held dynamometer (HHD) will be used for assessment of hamstring muscle strength. Each participant will lie prone on a standard treatment table. In this position, the participant will be instructed to bend their knee to 90° of knee flexion, where the Microfet 2 MMT-Wireless HHD will be placed on the lower leg, and a downward force toward the table will be held for 5s while the participant resists the downward force. The participant will be instructed to use their maximum effort. It will be performed three times, and an average will be recorded.
Secondary Outcomes
- Active Knee Extension (AKE) Test(5 weeks)
- Step length(5 weeks)
- Active Knee Extension (AKE) Test(5 weeks)
- Step length(5 weeks)
- Stride length(5 weeks)
- Cadence(5 weeks)
- Velocity(5 weeks)
Investigators
Nesma Morgan Allam
Assistant Professor of physical therapy for surgery, Faculty of physical therapy
Cairo University