NCT04484324

Optimal Duration of Stretching Exercise in Patients With Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain

Optimal Duration of Stretching Exercise in Patients With Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 100 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Sharjah · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

controversy remains about the stretching parameters needed to achieve a particular goal or treatment outcome. In clinical practice, multiple stretching techniques are used; nevertheless, there is no evidence-based agreement on the most effective parameters. One of these parameters, that might be affecting the treatment outcome the most, is the stretching duration, thus far there is a little agreement on the optimal stretching duration. This non agreement in exact stretching parameters is obvious between authors and researchers in the field of muscle energy techniques (MET) as well as those who have used and advocate various durations for the passive stretch that follows the contraction phase in MET.

Detailed description

comparison and subsequent conclusions about appropriate stretching times are mainly based on mechanical factors such as range of motion and flexibility, while ignoring the neural adversative mechanical tension that may be created during stretching exercises. According to the literature , stretching induced neural tension may adversely affect the central nervous system and nerve root function due to the absence of the perineurium, which is the primary load carrying structure. Thus, safe or unsafe limits of nerve elongation are not well established, despite several basic scientific and clinical studies.. Consequently, in the present study, the current study aimed to answer the question: Is it theoretically possible, that increased longitudinal strain and stress on the spinal cord and nerve root from continuous stretching exercises may subtly impair the neural function? Our hypothesis is that a duration threshold exists where, once reached, adverse neural function will be apparent resulting in a reduction of either or both latency and amplitudes of evoked potentials.

Conditions

• Mechanical Neck Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Stretching exercises	Post-facilitation stretch is a technique involves a maximal contraction of the muscle at mid-range with a rapid movement to maximal length followed by a static stretch.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-07-05
• Primary completion: 2020-07-11
• Completion: 2020-07-20
• First posted: 2020-07-23
• Last updated: 2020-12-30

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United Arab Emirates