Does the Addition of Manual Therapy Techniques Increase Gastrocnemius/Soleus Length More Than Stretching Alone?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Muscle Tightness

• Registration Number: NCT01856972
• Lead Sponsor: Nationwide Children's Hospital

Brief Summary

This study will examine the short term effects of adding manual therapy techniques to static stretching in Dorsiflexion (DF) Range of Motion (ROM). The investigators will be studying 2 forms of manual therapy, a rear-foot thrust joint mobilization (TJM), and Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). By comparing 3 groups: TJM+static stretching versus IASTM + static stretching versus static stretching alone the investigators wish to see if there are any short term benefits in DF ROM by adding either of these interventions to static stretching.

The manual therapy treatment will occur over 2 sessions and DF ROM measurements will be taken 4 times over a 2 week period.

The population that the investigators wish to examine are subjects with healthy feet and ankles, but with limited DF ROM.

The primary objective of this study is to see if subjects with decreased dorsiflexion motion will experience greater increases in dorsiflexion motion with the addition of manual therapy of static stretching alone.

Our hypothesis is subjects who receive manual therapy therapy and static stretching will experience a significant increase in DF ROM as compared to subjects who receive static stretching alone. More specifically subjects who are treated with the IASTM will experience greater results than subjects who are treated with the rear-foot thrust mobilization.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2013-05
• Study First Submitted: 2013-05-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2013-05-17
• Study First Posted: 2013-05-20
• Status Verified: 2014-06
• Primary Completion: 2014-06
• Study Completion: 2014-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-06-10
• Last Update Posted: 2014-06-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

healthy feet and ankles must have limited dorsiflexion ROM. Limited dorsiflexion will be judged by patient having <12 degrees of DF PROM with knee extended, or <50 degrees of weight bearing DF ROM with the knee flexed.

Exclusion Criteria

• inability to fully weight bear through their lower extremities
• have <0-90 degrees of ROM in their knees
• inability to follow directions
• presence of a Lower Extremity fracture
• pregnant or nursing

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Weight bearing dorsiflexion Range of Motion	Immediately prior to treatment, Immediately following treatment (same day), 2 day follow up visit,and at 2 weeks (12-16 days after initial session)	Subjects will perform 3 practice range of motion (ROM) before the first measurement is taken. Subjects will then be measured for Dorsiflexion range of motion with knee in full extension and then with knee flexed 3 times each. With each measurement subjects will be instructed to bend the ankle forward as far as possible without their heel leaving the ground. The average value for these 3 measurements will be calculated and that will be the subjects DF ROM measurement. The change in ROM at each measurement will be the outcome we are measuring

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Nationwide Children's Hospital Sports and Orthopedic PT East Broad St location; 🇺🇸 Columbus, Ohio, United States