Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07641621

Squat Jump Performance and Chiropractic Ankle Manipulation

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if chiropractic ankle manipulation can improve squat jump performance. It will also learn about the relationship among chiropractic ankle manipulation, ankle range of motion, and squat jump performance. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does chiropractic ankle manipulation increase squat jump height? * Is there a relationship among chiropractic ankle manipulation, ankle range of motion, and squat jump performance?

Researchers will compare squat jump performance between subjects who receive chiropractic ankle manipulations with control subjects to see if ankle chiropractic manipulation works to improve squat jump performance.

Participants will:

* Visit the research laboratory for one testing session to measure ankle range of motion and squat jump performance, before and after their randomly assigned intervention arm * Receive either a chiropractic ankle manipulations or rest quietly as the control condition during the testing session.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Biomechanics Laboratory at Northeast College of Health Sciences

Seneca Falls, New York, 13148, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jeanmarie R Burke, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • age range from 18 to 35 years old; and
  • participating in recreational exercise, three times a week for at least 30 minutes. Recreational exercise includes ball sports (e.g. soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.), racket sports (e.g. tennis, pickle ball, racket ball, etc.), strength/combat sports (e.g. weight lifting, boxing, martial arts, kickboxing, etc.), endurance sports (running, cycling, rock climbing, etc.), snow/ice sports (downhill or cross-county skiing, snow shoeing, hockey, etc.), interval training (e.g., high-intensity interval training), sprint interval training, repeated sprint training etc.) or moderate-intensity aerobic activities (step classes, dance classes, hiking, etc.)

Exclusion criteria

  • professional or amateur ranked athlete;
  • participation in water sports (swimming, water aerobics, kayaking, water skiing, etc.) to meet the recreational exercise inclusion criteria
  • acute or chronic musculoskeletal injury / condition of the feet, ankles, knees, and/or hips;
  • acute or chronic musculoskeletal injury / condition of the spine;
  • pregnancy or there is a possibility of pregnancy.
  • any diagnosed medical condition; and
  • any prescribed medications with the exceptions of birth control, anxiety, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications.

Treatment and study plan

Manual Therapy Procedure: Chiropractic Ankle Manipulation

Other

The lower extremity manipulation (LEM) procedure is a short lever, high velocity, low-amplitude distractive (caudal) thrust directed at the talocrural joint. The treating chiropractor will deliver the LEM to the right ankle then the left ankle. LEM is an adjustment for long axis distraction of the tibiotalar joint with the goal to improve dorsiflexion of the ankle joint.

Other names: Lower Extremity Manipulation

Primary outcomes

  1. Squat Jump Height

    Time frame: Baseline on Day 1 to Immediately after Intervention on Day 1

    Subjects will be instructed to jump upwards from the starting squat position as high as possible. Subjects will perform 3 to 6 jumps with 3 consecutive jump heights being within 5% of each other to ensure maximum jump height is achieved. There will be a one-minute rest between jumps.

    • Starting position. Subjects will assume the starting squat position with their hips at 90°, knees at 120°, and ankles at 85° as positioned by the PI. An adjustable plyometric jump box will be used to standardize the starting position. Hands will be resting across their chest with the trunk and head positioned straight ahead.
    • Squat Jump: Subjects will be instructed to jump as high as possible and land in a comfortable position. Hands will remain across the chest for the duration of

    The Optojump photoelectric cell system (OptoJump) will be used to record jump height. OptoJump demonstrates strong concurrent validity and excellent test-retest reliability for the estimation of vertical jump height

  2. Range of Motion of Ankle Dorsiflexion

    Time frame: Baseline on Day 1 to Immediately after Treatment on Day 1 and at End of Test Session on Day 1

    Knee-to-wall ankle dorsiflexion test:

    • Ankle dorsiflexion ROM (distance from wall - cm) is the maximum distance of the big toe from the wall while maintaining contact between the wall and the knee with the heel on the ground.
    • The subject will repeat the Knee-to-wall ankle dorsiflexion test three times at this maximum distance to allow the PI to record three goniometer measurements of ankle dorsiflexion ROM (degrees°).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Leg Muscle Power (W/Kg)

    Time frame: Baseline on Day 1 to Immediately after Intervention on Day 1

    Squat Jump Muscle Parameter: The Optojump will calculate an estimate of leg muscle power (W/Kg). The reliability and concurrent validity of OptoJump to measure jump height suggests that the evidence-base biomechanical formula to calculate the estimate of leg muscle power by OptoJump is reliable with face validity.

  2. Contraction Velocity of Leg Muscles (mm/s), Force-Velocity Curve

    Time frame: Baseline on Day 1 to Immediately after Intervention on Day 1

    Squat Jump Muscle Parameter: The Gyko inertial sensor system (Gyko) will measure the velocity of the jump to calculate an estimate of the contraction velocity of leg muscles, force-velocity curve.

    The reliability and concurrent validity of Gyko to measure jump height and in-turn estimate muscle function parameters is limited in the literature. The control group in the current study will allow us to address concurrent validity and reliability of Gyko to measure jump height. Jump height measured by Optojump is the gold-standard field base device. Comparison of Gyko to Optojump measurements of jump heights will determine concurrent validity of Gyko to estimate jump height. The use of evidence-base biomechanical formulas to calculate an estimate of contraction velocity of leg muscles during SQJ's depends on recording reliable and valid measurements of jump heights; and in turn, establish the reliability and face validity of Gyko to estimate muscle function parameters.

  3. Rate of Force Development of Leg Muscles (N/s), Slope of the Force - Velocity Curve

    Time frame: Baseline on Day 1 to Immediately after Intervention on Day 1

    Squat Jump Muscle Parameter: The Gyko inertial sensor system (Gyko) will measure the velocity of the jump to calculate an estimate of the rate of force development of leg muscles, slope of the force - velocity curve The reliability and concurrent validity of Gyko to measure jump height and in-turn estimate muscle function parameters is limited in the literature. The control group in the current study will allow us to address concurrent validity and reliability of Gyko to measure jump height. Jump height measured by Optojump is the gold-standard field base device. Comparison of Gyko to Optojump measurements of jump heights will determine concurrent validity of Gyko to estimate jump height. The use of evidence-base biomechanical formulas to calculate an estimate of the rate of force development of leg muscles during SQJ's depends on recording reliable and valid measurements of jump heights; and in turn, establish the reliability and face validity of Gyko to estimate muscle function.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jeanmarie R Burke, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

315 568-3869

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Northeast College of Health Sciences

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effects of Chiropractic Ankle Manipulation on Athletic Performance of College-Aged Recreational Athletes: Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jun 11, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 16, 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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.