Improving Flexibility With a Mindbody Approach - Full Text View

Purpose

The objectives of this study are to investigate if Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) will impact back and leg flexibility over both the short-term and the long-term.

It is hypothesized that NET will improve flexibility and that these changes are durable.

Condition	Intervention	Phase
General Low Back, Hip and Hamstring Flexibility.	Behavioral: Neuro Emotional Technique Other: Stretching Instruction Other: None (no intervention)	Phase 0

Study Type:	Interventional
Study Design:	Allocation: Randomized Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title:	Improving Flexibility With a Mindbody Approach

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Anxiety

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by Parker Research Institute:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Change in Sit-n-Reach Test Scores (cm) [ Time Frame: weeks 0, 3 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS) score - change [ Time Frame: weeks 0, 3 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Estimated Enrollment:	45
Study Start Date:	March 2010
Study Completion Date:	August 2010
Primary Completion Date:	August 2010 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)

Arms	Assigned Interventions
Experimental: NET This arm will receive two 20-minutes sessions of NET 1 week apart	Behavioral: Neuro Emotional Technique NET is considered an alternative stress-reduction technique. Its aim is to remove neurological abnormalities which have a specified physiopathological pattern. The goal of NET is to normalize the aberrant patterns through a physical correction. During the NET procedure, various psychological components of the anxious state are considered: cognitions, emotions, and behaviours. These various components are explored for a physiological reaction in the participant. Once a physiological reaction is found, the practitioner helps the participant identify the specific emotion. The procedure is concluded when the patient no longer feels distress or discomfort. Following the intervention, patients frequently report feeling subjective relief.
Active Comparator: Active Controls This arm will receive two 20-minute sessions of stretching instructions 1 week apart.	Other: Stretching Instruction This arm is the Active Control Arm and will receive two 20-minute sessions of Stretching Instructions. During these instructions, participants will hold stretches for not longer than 5 seconds, which in not likely to have any therapeutic effect.
No Intervention: Inactive Controls This arm will receive no intervention and no instructions.	Other: None (no intervention) No Intervention

Detailed Description:

General flexibility is a key component of health, wellbeing and general physical conditioning. In fact, lack of flexibility has been associated with an increased risk of developing musculoskeletal injuries and underperformance.

It has been previously shown that a regular stretching routine will improve flexibility relatively quickly. However, when the routine is discontinued or when stretching is not performed regularly, flexibility is also quickly lost. Therefore, an alternative intervention with longer retention would be desirable.

The reason for reduced flexibility, or a shortened muscle length, can be multifactorial. Reduced flexibility can be due to physical causes, such as an acute injury or strength training. Likewise, mental factors, such as anxiety and stress, can also significantly contribute to muscle tension, thereby reducing flexibility. It has been previously shown that somatic symptoms of anxiety can be lessened by treating the psychological symptoms of anxiety. It has also been previously shown that Neuro Emotional Technique® (NET), a chiropractic stress-reduction technique, is effective at reducing stress. Therefore, I hypothesize that NET may be effective at improving general flexibility. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate if NET can improve flexibility in the short-term, and if so, if these changes are durable in the long term.

Participants of this study will be randomly divided into three arms: (1) Experimental Arm - which will receive two 20-minute sessions of NET, (2) Active Controls - which will receive two 20-minute sessions of stretching instructions, and (3) Inactive Control - which will receive no intervention or instruction, but simply be assessed.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:	18 Years to 45 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:	Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:	Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy adults aged 18 to 45 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

A currently diagnosed physical or mental health problem
Pain on forward bending
Pregnancy

NOTE: For this study, no compensation is possible.

Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01066325

Locations

United States, Texas
Parker Research Institute
Dallas, Texas, United States, 75229

Sponsors and Collaborators

Parker Research Institute

Investigators

Principal Investigator:

Anne M Jensen, DC, MS, MSc

Parker Research Institute

More Information

Publications:

Witvrouw E, Danneels L, Asselman P, D'Have T, Cambier D. Muscle flexibility as a risk factor for developing muscle injuries in male professional soccer players. A prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 2003 Jan-Feb;31(1):41-6.

Wells GD, Elmi M, Thomas S. Physiological correlates of golf performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 May;23(3):741-50.

Jensen AM, Ramasamy A. Treating spider phobia using Neuro Emotional Technique: findings from a pilot study. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Dec;15(12):1363-74.

Baltaci G, Un N, Tunay V, Besler A, Gerçeker S. Comparison of three different sit and reach tests for measurement of hamstring flexibility in female university students. Br J Sports Med. 2003 Feb;37(1):59-61.

Castro-Piñero J, Chillón P, Ortega FB, Montesinos JL, Sjöström M, Ruiz JR. Criterion-related validity of sit-and-reach and modified sit-and-reach test for estimating hamstring flexibility in children and adolescents aged 6-17 years. Int J Sports Med. 2009 Sep;30(9):658-62. Epub 2009 Jul 7.

Chung PK, Yuen CK. Criterion-related validity of sit-and-reach tests in university men in Hong Kong. Percept Mot Skills. 1999 Feb;88(1):304-16.

Ortega FB, Artero EG, Ruiz JR, Vicente-Rodriguez G, Bergman P, Hagströmer M, Ottevaere C, Nagy E, Konsta O, Rey-López JP, Polito A, Dietrich S, Plada M, Béghin L, Manios Y, Sjöström M, Castillo MJ; HELENA Study Group. Reliability of health-related physical fitness tests in European adolescents. The HELENA Study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Nov;32 Suppl 5:S49-57.

Youdas JW, Krause DA, Hollman JH. Validity of hamstring muscle length assessment during the sit-and-reach test using an inclinometer to measure hip joint angle. J Strength Cond Res. 2008 Jan;22(1):303-9.

Crawford JR, Henry JD. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS): normative data and latent structure in a large non-clinical sample. Br J Clin Psychol. 2003 Jun;42(Pt 2):111-31.

Khan RS, Marlow C, Head A. Physiological and psychological responses to a 12-week BodyBalance training programme. J Sci Med Sport. 2008 Jun;11(3):299-307. Epub 2007 Aug 14.

Monti DA, Stoner ME, Zivin G, Schlesinger M. Short term correlates of the Neuro Emotional Technique for cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms: a pilot case series. J Cancer Surviv. 2007 Jun;1(2):161-6.

Monti DA, Sinnott J, Marchese M, Kunkel EJ, Greeson JM. Muscle test comparisons of congruent and incongruent self-referential statements. Percept Mot Skills. 1999 Jun;88(3 Pt 1):1019-28.

Peterson KB. A preliminary inquiry into manual muscle testing response in phobic and control subjects exposed to threatening stimuli. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1996 Jun;19(5):310-6.

Responsible Party:	Dr. Anne M. Jensen, Parker Research Institute, Parker College of Chiropractic
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT01066325 History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers:	Sit-n-Reach Study
Study First Received:	February 9, 2010
Last Updated:	February 28, 2011
Health Authority:	United States: Institutional Review Board

Keywords provided by Parker Research Institute:

Sit-n-Reach Test
Flexibility
Hamstring

Mindbody
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Neuro Emotional Technique (NET)

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 18, 2013