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NCT Number: NCT05939609

Hamstring Viscoelasticity and Low Back Pain

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent issue among adolescent rowers, particularly males aged 14 to 16 years, with a high lifetime prevalence (94%) and point prevalence (65%). One of the mechanisms of lower back pain in rowing athletes is about the elasticity, stiffness and tone of the hamstring muscle.

Current literature shows that stretching exercises, strengthening exercises and kinesiotaping affects hamstring viscoelasticity in various ways. Stretching exercises affect hamstring muscle tone and elasticity, strengthening exercises affect muscle stiffness and kinesiotaping affects muscle tone. While the effects of each of these interventions on viscoelastic properties individually are examined in the literature, studies comparing the effects of changes in viscoelastic properties caused by these interventions on low back pain, athletic disability index and athletic performance in rowers and their superiority among each other are lacking.

The goal of this study is to change the viscoelasticity of the hamstring muscles and examine its effect on low back pain, disability index and athletic performance.

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Key information

Conditions

Low Back Pain Athletic Injuries Back Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Wounds and Injuries

Age range

14 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

İstanbul Nisantasi University

Istanbul, Maslak, 34398, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Volunteer male elite rowing athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 who score 3/10 or higher on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale at the time of activity will be included in the study. Signed voluntary consent will be obtained from participants and their legal representatives. Participants will be divided into three groups. Study groups will be as follows: a) ballistic hamstring stretching exercise b) hamstring extender exercise c) kinesiotaping

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Being between ages 14 and 18 and male gender
  • Having been rowing at an elite level for at least one year with a professional team
  • Having pain 3/10 or higher on NPRS
  • Participating to the study in a voluntary basis.

Exclusion criteria

  • Having limitation in lower extremity range of motion that limits completion of interventions
  • Having a musculoskeletal injury involving the lower extremity in the last 6 months.
  • Having undergone a operation in the last 6 months.
  • Failing to complete any of interventions.
  • Wanting to quit from study.

Treatment and study plan

Ballistic Stretching Exercise

Other

It will be applied 4 times per week for 12 weeks.

Extender Exercise

Other

It will be applied 4 times per week for 12 weeks.

Kinesiotaping

Other

It will be applied 4 times per week for 12 weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Frequency of Biceps Femoris Muscle

    Time frame: change from baseline frequency at 12 weeks

    The tones of muscle is described by frequency of muscle or oscillation frequency (Hz). It will be examined by the MyotonPro, Tallinn, Estonia.

  2. Frequency of Semitendinosus Muscle

    Time frame: change from baseline frequency at 12 weeks

    The tones of muscle is described by frequency of muscle or oscillation frequency (Hz). It will be examined by the MyotonPro, Tallinn, Estonia.

  3. Stiffness of Biceps Femoris Muscle

    Time frame: change from baseline frequency at 12 weeks

    Stiffness of muscle is described by reaction to contraction or forces from outside of tissue that may cause the original form to deteriorate. It will be examined by the MyotonPro, Tallinn, Estonia.

  4. Stiffness of Semitendinosus Muscle

    Time frame: change from baseline frequency at 12 weeks

    Stiffness of muscle is described by reaction to contraction or forces from outside of tissue that may cause the original form to deteriorate. It will be examined by the MyotonPro, Tallinn, Estonia.

  5. Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

    Time frame: change from baseline pain at the time of activity at 12 weeks

    The NPRS is a segmented numeric version of the visual analog scale (VAS) in which a respondent selects a whole number (0-10 integers) that best reflects the intensity of his/her pain. The 11-point numeric scale ranges from '0' representing one pain extreme (e.g. "no pain") to '10' representing the other pain extreme (e.g. "pain as bad as you can imagine" or "worst pain imaginable").

Secondary outcomes

  1. Standing Long Jump Test (SLJT)

    Time frame: change from baseline performance level at 12 weeks

    It is a horizontal jump test that measures anaerobic performance.

  2. 2K-rowing test

    Time frame: change from baseline performance time at 12 weeks

    It is an ergometer test that measures 2,000 meter rowing time and power output as a gold standard.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Istanbul Nisantasi University

Other

Collaborators

  • Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa
  • Yeditepe University

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Hamstring-targeted Physiotherapy on Low Back Pain and Muscle Viscoelastic Properties in Elite Adolescent Rowers: A Single-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jul 11, 2023
Registry last updated
Jan 30, 2026

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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