Effects of Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercises in Patients With Piriformis Syndrome

NCT07484373 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: REC/RCR & AHS/24/01113
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 48
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study was conducted to determine the effects of hip abductor strengthening exercises on pain, range of motion, and lower extremity function in patients with piriformis syndrome.

Conditions

Piriformis Syndrome

Keywords

Piriformis syndrome Pain; Quality of life; Hip abductor strengthening exercises; Lower Extremity Functional Scale

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)

  The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) is a self-reported questionnaire used to assess lower extremity functional status in individuals with musculoskeletal conditions. It consists of 20 items related to daily activities such as walking, climbing stairs, squatting, and running. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = extreme difficulty/unable to perform, 4 = no difficulty), with a maximum total score of 80. Higher scores indicate better functional ability. The LEFS is widely used due to its high reliability, validity, and responsiveness in evaluating functional improvement over time.

  From enrolment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

• Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

  The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is a subjective measure used to assess pain intensity. Patients are asked to rate their current pain level on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "worst imaginable pain." It is simple, quick to administer, and clinically reliable for monitoring changes in pain over time. A reduction of 2 points or more is generally considered clinically meaningful improvement

  from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Hip Abduction range of motion

  from enrollment to the end of treatment.

• Hip external roration ROM

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks.

Study Arms (2)

Arm 1: Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercise Group + conventional physiotherapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Progressive Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercises; Other: conventional physiotherapy treatment

Arm 2: Conventional Physiotherapy Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: conventional physiotherapy treatment

Interventions

Progressive Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercises OTHER

Experimental Group (Hip Abductor Strengthening + Baseline Physiotherapy) A structured hip abductor strengthening program divided into three progressive phases over four weeks, along with baseline physiotherapy treatment. Phase I (Week 1 - Non-weight bearing / Isolated activation) Exercises: Bridging, Side-lying clam exercises, Side-lying hip abduction, Towel squeeze Dosage: 3 × 15 repetitions Phase II (Week 2 - Weight-bearing strengthening) Exercises: Squats, Side-stepping, Single-limb sit-to-stand, Step-up/Step-down, Leg press Dosage: 3 × 15 repetitions Phase III (Weeks 3-4 - Dynamic/Functional training) Exercises: Forward lunges, Double-limb jump Dosage: Week 3 → 3 × 15 repetitions Week 4 → 5 × 20 repetitions

Arm 1: Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercise Group + conventional physiotherapy

conventional physiotherapy treatment OTHER

conventional Physiotherapy treatment * Hydro-collateral pack for 10 minutes over piriformis muscle (40°C) * Pulsed ultrasound for 10 minutes at 2.25 W/cm² * Piriformis stretching maneuver (20-second hold × 10 repetitions)

Arm 1: Hip Abductor Strengthening Exercise Group + conventional physiotherapy; Arm 2: Conventional Physiotherapy Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Males and Females between 18 and 45 .
• Unilateral involvement, Onset of pain not \> 2 weeks.
• Grade 1-3 Tenderness at piriformis muscle.
• Numeric pain rating scale\>3and equal to, \<6.
• Any three positive test among Piriformis Test, Beatty Test, Freiberg Test, FAIR Test, Sign of Pace \& Nagel.

You may not qualify if:

• Positive Leagues' sign.
• Any pathology or recent injury around hip, knee and SI joint .
• Fracture of femur \& hip joint dislocation.
• Pain due to neurological, spinal or pelvic origin.
• Limb length discrepancy .
• Stenosis of spine and disc herniation .
• Any postural abnormality/ deformity .
• Tumors and facet joint pathology.
• Congenital or acquired abnormality in the spinal column .
• Pregnancy .
• Neurological conditions like, CVA, Parkinson's disease, non-cooperative \& subjects with psychological impairment .

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hashir Ali clinic

Lahore, Punjab Province, 40100, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Piriformis Muscle Syndrome

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sciatic Neuropathy; Mononeuropathies; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Nerve Compression Syndromes; Neuralgia; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pelvic Pain

Study Officials

• Humera Mubashar, Ms-OMPT

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 16, 2026
• First Posted: March 20, 2026
• Study Start: January 13, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2025
• Study Completion: October 31, 2025
• Last Updated: March 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)