Prevention of Hamstring Injuries in Football Players.

NCT05773404 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 313
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 66
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Introduction: The prevalence of hamstring injuries in football is high, causing an increase in the number of casualties and a high socio-economic cost. Currently there are different treatment protocols for this muscle group, but there are often no comparisons of different types of passive, active and combined therapies, and their potential efficacy, in professional football players. Objectives: To compare the efficacy of three different interventions; passive manual therapy, active therapy based on therapeutic exercise and combined therapy, in relation to hamstring injuries in professional football players. Methodology: A simple Randomised Clinical Trial (RCT) was conducted (NCT04935398). After applying the selection criteria, a sample of 66 professional football players was obtained. They were divided into 3 intervention groups (A, B and C) with 22 participants in each group and were given passive manual therapy, active therapy (exercise) and combined therapy (sum of the above). The corresponding tests and questionnaires were evaluated to obtain data on hamstring flexibility and hip range of movement at three time periods: pre, post and post2.

Conditions

Hamstring Injuries

Keywords

physiotherapies techniques; Range of Motion; Hamstring Muscles; Prevention and Control; Muscuoeskeletal Manipulations.

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• range of movements measurements

  Observe the degrees of mobility of the lower limb joints.

  1 month

Study Arms (3)

passive manual therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

The physiotherapist performs passive techniques on the hamstring muscles of the footballers.

Other: Passive Neurodynamics and Passive axial hip mobilisation/distraction

active therapy (exercise)

EXPERIMENTAL

The physiotherapist does not perform passive techniques and it is the player who performs active techniques on the hamstring muscles.

Other: Active therapy

combined therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The physiotherapist performs passive techniques and in addition the player performs active techniques on the hamstring muscles.

Other: 2.5.3. Combined therapy

Interventions

Passive Neurodynamics and Passive axial hip mobilisation/distraction OTHER

The physiotherapist performs passive techniques on the hamstring muscles and the nerve that innervates the hamstring muscles.

passive manual therapy

Active therapy OTHER

Active lumbopelvic CORE control exercises and active stretching of the ischiopelvic nerves

Also known as: Active Neurodynamics and Therapeutic exercise

active therapy (exercise)

2.5.3. Combined therapy OTHER

The physiotherapist performs passive techniques on the hamstring muscles and the nerve that innervates the hamstring muscles and active lumbopelvic CORE control exercises and active stretching of the ischiopelvic nerves.

Also known as: Passive and Active therapy

combined therapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Female footballers
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Professional football athletes.
• Between 18-40 years of age.
• Female gender.
• Active in competitive season.

You may not qualify if:

• Neurological signs.
• Inability to follow the evaluator's instructions.
• Physical activity of less than 2 hours per week.
• Serious lower limb injury during the study period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad Católica de Ávila: lead

Study Sites (1)

Universidad Católica de Ávila

Ávila, 05005, Spain

Location

Related Publications (8)

• Petersen J, Holmich P. Evidence based prevention of hamstring injuries in sport. Br J Sports Med. 2005 Jun;39(6):319-23. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2005.018549.

  PMID: 15911599 BACKGROUND

• Verrall GM, Slavotinek JP, Barnes PG. The effect of sports specific training on reducing the incidence of hamstring injuries in professional Australian Rules football players. Br J Sports Med. 2005 Jun;39(6):363-8. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2005.018697.

  PMID: 15911608 BACKGROUND

• Hagglund M, Walden M, Ekstrand J. Injury recurrence is lower at the highest professional football level than at national and amateur levels: does sports medicine and sports physiotherapy deliver? Br J Sports Med. 2016 Jun;50(12):751-8. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2015-095951. Epub 2016 Mar 25.

  PMID: 27015858 RESULT

• Ekstrand J, Hagglund M, Walden M. Epidemiology of muscle injuries in professional football (soccer). Am J Sports Med. 2011 Jun;39(6):1226-32. doi: 10.1177/0363546510395879. Epub 2011 Feb 18.

  PMID: 21335353 RESULT

• Hagglund M, Walden M, Ekstrand J. Risk factors for lower extremity muscle injury in professional soccer: the UEFA Injury Study. Am J Sports Med. 2013 Feb;41(2):327-35. doi: 10.1177/0363546512470634. Epub 2012 Dec 21.

  PMID: 23263293 RESULT

• Ekstrand J, Ueblacker P, Van Zoest W, Verheijen R, Vanhecke B, van Wijk M, Bengtsson H. Risk factors for hamstring muscle injury in male elite football: medical expert experience and conclusions from 15 European Champions League clubs. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023 Jan 24;9(1):e001461. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001461. eCollection 2023.

  PMID: 36726776 RESULT

• Woods C, Hawkins RD, Maltby S, Hulse M, Thomas A, Hodson A; Football Association Medical Research Programme. The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football--analysis of hamstring injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2004 Feb;38(1):36-41. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2002.002352.

  PMID: 14751943 RESULT

• Arnason A, Andersen TE, Holme I, Engebretsen L, Bahr R. Prevention of hamstring strains in elite soccer: an intervention study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2008 Feb;18(1):40-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2006.00634.x. Epub 2007 Mar 12.

  PMID: 17355322 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Exercise Therapy

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 6, 2023
• First Posted: March 17, 2023
• Study Start: March 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: December 21, 2023
• Study Completion: April 28, 2024
• Last Updated: September 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Locations

ES (1)