Comparative Effects of Lower Body Quadrant Neural Mobilization and Stretching in Collegiate Football Players

NCT06298851 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: E-10840098-772.02-2026
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Neural mobilization (NM) refers to a therapeutic interventions that aim to directly or indirectly influence neural structures and adjacent tissues through manual techniques or exercise. The application of NM has been investigated in both patients and healthy individuals. In this study, participants from an amateur football team will be allocated into three groups, each undergoing pre-training warm-up protocols incorporating NM, dynamic stretching, or static stretching. Following the warm-up protocols, the effects on flexibility and athletic performance will be evaluated and compared across the groups.

Conditions

Sports Physical Therapy; Stretch; Stretch Injury

Keywords

football players; neural mobilization; static stretching; dynamic stretching

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Straight Leg Raise Test

  The passive straight leg raise test will be used to determine changes in the flexibility of the hamstring muscle. With the participant in the supine position, the lateral condyle of the femur, fibular head, and fibular malleolus will be identified. The axis of a goniometer will be placed over the protrusion of the greater trochanter of the femur. One of the arms of the goniometer will be placed parallel to the table. The knee and ankle will be kept in the extension position. By holding the talus and without rotating the hip, flexion of the hip will be gradually increased. Participants' lower extremities will be elevated until they complain of pain in the rear thigh area. Care will be taken to ensure that they do not bend their knees and that the pelvis is not in retroversion. Then, the other arm of the goniometer will be placed in the direction of the line between the head of the fibula and the fibular malleolus and the degree of height of the straight leg will be noted.

  From pre-interventional time to post-interventional about an hour

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Y Balance Test

  From pre-interventional time to post-interventional about an hour

Other Outcomes (3)

• One-Leg Forward Jump Test

  From pre-interventional time to post-interventional about an hour

• T Test

  From pre-interventional time to post-interventional about an hour

• BlazePod Reaction Time Determination Test

  From pre-interventional time to post-interventional about an hour

Study Arms (3)

Neural Mobilization Group (NMG)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants of NMG performed sciatic, femoral and peroneal nerve and lumbar region gliding. All glides include 4 sets of 10 repetitions, with each gliding cycle lasting 6 seconds, and a 1-minute rest between sets for both extremities.

Other: Neural Mobilization Group (NMG)

Dynamic Stretching Group (DSG)

EXPERIMENTAL

4 sets of 10 repetitions will be performed, each exercise cycle lasting 6 seconds, and a 1-minute rest period will be given between sets. All stretching exercises will be performed in two circuits.

Other: Dynamic Stretching Group (DSG)

Static Stretching Group (SSG)

EXPERIMENTAL

4 sets of 4 repetitions will be applied to the lumbar extensor, hamstring, quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles located in both extremities, each stretching will last for 15 seconds and a 1-minute rest period will be given between sets.

Other: Static Stretching Group (SSG)

Interventions

Neural Mobilization Group (NMG) OTHER

Femoral nerve gliding: Mobilization of the femoral nerve will performed while the participant in the prone position and the hip hyperextended. Tension will applied by placing the knee in full flexion and the ankle in plantar flexion. Sciatic nerve gliding: Participants will take turns while sitting with the trunk in thoracic flexion; perform knee extension/dorsiflexion with cervical extension and knee flexion/plantar flexion with cervical flexion. Tension will applied by flexing the hip and dorsiflexing the ankle to the point where stress will felt. Peroneal nerve gliding: The participant will asked to maintain this position in a supine position by placing the ankle in inversion and plantar flexion. From a starting position consisting of ankle dorsiflexion, knee, and hip extension, the patient will return to the starting position by simultaneously performing ankle plantar flexion and inversion, full knee flexion, and 90 degrees of hip flexion.

Neural Mobilization Group (NMG)

Dynamic Stretching Group (DSG) OTHER

Exercises will include functional activities that provided dynamic stretching of the hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexor, extensor, abductor and adductor muscles, and gastrosoleus muscle. All stretching exercises will be performed in two circuits in an area of 15 m2. 4 sets of 10 repetitions will be performed, each exercise cycle lasting 6 seconds, and a 1-minute rest period will be given between sets. This process will be repeated for both extremities.

Dynamic Stretching Group (DSG)

Static Stretching Group (SSG) OTHER

Static stretching exercises will be described to the participants as given below: Standing quadriceps stretch: The participant will stand upright, fold one knee and bring the heel towards the buttock while holding the foot with one hand. Modified hamstring stretching: The participant will be in a seated position with one leg straight and will place the other foot on the inside of the straight leg and reach forward. Gastrocnemius stretching: The participant stands with feet 60-90 cm from the wall, leaning against the wall with both hands, keeping the back leg straight and the front leg slightly bent. Adductor stretching: Participants will be in a sitting position with an erect spine, bending and releasing their knees with the soles of their feet touching. Lumbar stretching: In a sitting position, participants keep one leg straight and place the other foot on the outside of the straight leg and rotate the body diagonally.

Static Stretching Group (SSG)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Between the ages of 18-25
• Not having had a lower or upper extremity injury in the last 3 months
• Not having had surgery in the last 6 months
• Playing amateur football regularly for at least 1 year

You may not qualify if:

• Orthopedic, neurological, rheumatological or cardiorespiratory health problems that would prevent them from performing the tests

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul Medipol University Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Istanbul Medipol University

Istanbul, 34820, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2024
• First Posted: March 7, 2024
• Study Start: March 8, 2024
• Primary Completion: March 25, 2024
• Study Completion: March 31, 2024
• Last Updated: January 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-01

Locations

TU (1)