Prenatal Care, Walking
Conditions
Keywords
Prenatal health Nordic walking, pregnancy, musculoskeletal pain, gait parameters, quality of life
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the effects of Nordic walking (NW) on gait kinematics, musculoskeletal pain, and quality of life in pregnant women.
Detailed description
Healthy pregnant women (N=50), aged 20-40 years and between 13 and 28 weeks of gestation, experiencing mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain, will be recruited. Participants will be randomized into either an intervention group (NW training) or a control group receiving standard prenatal care. The intervention group will undergo a 4-week learning phase followed by an 8-week NW program (3 sessions per week, 45 minutes per session), led by a certified instructor. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, after 4 weeks, and post-intervention (8 weeks), including spatiotemporal gait parameters (will be assessed using the GAITRite system), musculoskeletal pain (will be measured via Visual Analog Scale, VAS), and quality of life (will be measured using the SF-36 Health Survey).
Interventions
OTHERPrenatal Nordic Walking
Traditional Nordic walking poles will be modified according to International Nordic Walking Federation guidelines, which meant that the elbows were bent at a 90°angle when holding the poles in a vertical position. Nordic Walking will be conducted in two phases consisting of a 4-week learning phase followed by an 8-week main phase of intervention.
Sponsors
University of Jazan
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
Out of 50 pregnant women who will be screened for their eligibility criteria, The participants will be randomized to either intervention group (Nordic Walking) or control group (standard prenatal care).
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
20 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy women aged 20 to 40 between 13 and 28 weeks into singleton pregnancy. * Participants must be experiencing mild to moderate musculoskeletal discomfort, such as lower back or pelvic pain, * Participants have no prior musculoskeletal or neurological diseases. * They must have no contraindications to exercising throughout pregnancy, as established by obstetrician clearance, and be able to engage in moderate physical activity under medical recommendations
Exclusion criteria
* History of diseases affecting bony structures or lumbar intervertebral discs. * Pain caused by non-musculoskeletal factors (such as urinary tract infections or obstetric complications). * Multiple pregnancies, pre-existing mobility conditions, and high-risk pregnancies or complications that restrict physical activity.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Spatial gait parameters | 20 minutes | A GAITRite system will be used to assess the spatial parameters of gait |
| Temporal parameters of gait | 20 minutes | A GAITRite system will be used to assess the temporal parameters of gait |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Analog Score for musculoskeletal pain | 5 minutes | The Visual Analog Score is depicted as a 10 cm horizontal line divided into 1 cm sections, each representing 1 point, resulting in a score ranging from 0 to 10 points. Higher scores mean worse outcome. |
| Quality of life | 10 minutes | The SF-36 Health Survey will be used to determine the results. |
Countries
Saudi Arabia
Outcome results
None listed