The Effect of 8-Week Dynamic Stretching of Hip Flexors on Hip Flexibility, Pain, and Physical Fitness in Soccer Players with Low Back Pain. A randomized controlled trial.

Examining the effects of 8 weeks of dynamic stretching of hip flexor muscles on hip flexibility, low back pain, and physical fitness in football players with low back pain.

The present study consists of 40 participants and will be conducted in a single-blind manner. Participants will be randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups using simple randomization and the random allocation rule through the website Randomiser.org.

In this study, the experimental group will perform a stretching exercise protocol at Shahdaye Mes and Kaveh Sports Complex for 8 weeks, with 5 sessions per week. The study variables will be measured before the intervention, after 4 and 8 weeks, and one month after the end of the intervention. The exercises are designed to improve flexibility and will be conducted under the supervision of one of the researchers. Additionally, this study is single-blinded, and the researcher who measures the study variables will be unaware of the participants' group assignments.

Inclusion criteria: 1. Having experienced lower back pain in the past 7 days or sought treatment for back pain in the last 12 months. 2. Having shortness in the hip flexor muscles. 3. Players must be within the age range of 18-35 years. Exclusion criteria: 1. Players who have undergone joint surgery in the hip within the past 6 months.

The present study includes two groups: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group will perform three dynamic stretching exercises for the hip flexor muscles for eight weeks (5 sessions per week). During this period, the control group will not receive any intervention and will continue with their regular training.

In the present study, the variables include flexibility, pain level, balance, power, speed, and agility.

In this study, participants are divided into two experimental and control groups using simple randomization. The randomization process will be done individually using the online tool Randomiser.org, which automatically generates a list of random numbers and assigns each participant to one of the groups. To prevent bias and ensure uniform distribution, the random sequence is designed in a way that group assignment occurs only after the initial stages are completed. Allocation concealment is achieved through computerized encoding software, where random codes are automatically assigned to each participant, and allocation information remains encrypted in the system until the final data analysis.

After providing a general introduction to the study and the groups being investigated, participants in the present study will be randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups by chance. Additionally, the evaluator will be blinded to the group allocation of participants.

All data will be shared after anonymizing individuals, ensuring their non-identifiability.

The data access period will start immeduately after the results are printed.

The data will be made available to researchers, organizations, and institutions related to the field of football and also for publication in accessible journals

In order to assist scientific research and promote the implementation of executive goals with a focus on enhancing the performance of football players in the field,

Mohammad Alimoradi/malimoradi@sport.uk.ac.ir

Requests for access to data will be answered within a week