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NCT Number: NCT07005934

Effects of Percussion Therapy on the Biomechanics of Pickleball Movement

With increased demand on pickleball as a recreational exercise, it is of interest in investigating the biomechanical characteristics of pickleball and determining the impacts of percussion therapy on them. This study aims to examine the effects of percussion therapy on the biomechanics of pickleball movement and muscle activation patterns in recreational pickleball players. It is hypothesized that kinematics and kinetics of pickleball performance improves after 4 weeks of percussion therapy.

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This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Injury;Sports Athletic Injuries Muscle Soreness Muscular Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal Pain Myalgia Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Neuromuscular Diseases Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

PLNU x Padres Biomechanics Laboratory

San Diego, California, 92123, United States

About this study

Pickleball has rapidly increasing its playing population among people with different ages and performance levels. While pickleball is keeping people of all age active, injury prevalence of recreational pickleball players particularly for elderly populations has rapidly become a great concern in health care in recent years. It is crucial not only for individuals who play the sports but also for sports medicine professionals to prevent injuries and assure wellbeing of pickleball players. Percussion therapy with a handheld massage gun has widely utilized both in clinical or sports settings and by individuals as a self-care device, allowing the treatment popular and accessible. While previous research has examined acute effects of percussion therapy, the impacts of percussion therapy on exercise performance are not yet fully understood mainly due to diverse designs, protocols, and qualities of previous studies. Moreover, little is known how biomechanical characteristics (i.e., joint kinematics and kinetics) of sports specific movements of pickleball are altered after the percussion therapy. With Increased demand on pickleball as a recreational exercise, it is of interest in investigating the biomechanical characteristics of pickleball and determining the impacts of percussion therapy on them. The proposed project aims to examine the effects of percussion therapy on the biomechanics of pickleball movement and muscle activation patterns in recreational pickleball players. It is hypothesized that kinematics and kinetics of pickleball performance improves as well as static joint range of motion (ROM) after the percussion therapy.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age range: 18 - 80 years old
  • Free from injury in lower extremity for the last 6 months
  • Plays pickleball regularly defined as self-reported participation on at least a weekly basis for a year or more

Exclusion criteria

  • Joint injury within previous 6 months

Treatment and study plan

Theragun Prime

Device

Percussion massager

Primary outcomes

  1. Passive hip flexion range-of-motion (ROM)

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Passive flexion ROM (degrees) of the dominant hip

  2. Passive knee flexion range-of-motion (ROM)

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Passive flexion ROM (degrees) of the dominant knee

  3. Peak hip extensor moment

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Peak extensor moment (Nm) of the dominant hip during change-of-direction tasks

  4. Peak hip abductor moment

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Peak abductor moment (Nm) of the dominant hip during change-of-direction tasks

  5. Peak knee extensor moment

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Peak extensor moment (Nm) of the dominant knee during change-of-direction tasks

  6. Peak knee abduction moment

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Peak abduction moment (Nm) of the dominant knee during change-of-direction tasks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Peak quadriceps group activation intensity

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Peak muscle activation via surface electromyography (EMG) as normalized by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (% MVIC) of the dominant quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastii muscles) during change-of-direction tasks

  2. Peak lateral hamstrings group activation intensity

    Time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

    Peak muscle activation via surface electromyography (EMG) as normalized by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (% MVIC) of the dominant lateral hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus muscles) during change-of-direction tasks

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Point Loma Nazarene University

Other

Collaborators

  • Therabody, Inc.

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 5, 2025
Registry last updated
Oct 1, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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