An interventional study of ART and SCS in Piriformis Syndrome, sponsored by University of Faisalabad. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to female participants aged 20 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-09.
Sponsored by University of Faisalabad · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder causing buttock pain and sciatic nerve irritation, leading to functional limitations. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two manual therapy techniques-Strain Counterstrain (SCS) and Active Release Technique (ART)-on pain, functional disability, and hip range of motion in patients with piriformis syndrome. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups will receive a baseline treatment of a hot pack and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). The SCS group will additionally receive the strain counterstrain technique, while the ART group will receive the active release technique. Treatment will be administered three times per week for four weeks. Outcomes will be measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), and a goniometer for range of motion, assessed at baseline and after four weeks.
This study is designed as a prospective, parallel-group, randomized clinical trial. The study will be conducted at the outpatient departments of Rabia Trust Hospital and Madina Teaching Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The total planned duration for data collection and analysis is four months. A sample size of 17 participants has been calculated using an online sample size calculator based on outcome measure values from a previous similar study, accounting for a 20% attrition rate. Eligible participants will be individuals aged 20-60 years of either sex who have been clinically diagnosed with piriformis syndrome and are able to perform the required movements. Key exclusion criteria include a history of lumbar disc herniation, hip pathology, acute trauma, systemic illness, pregnancy, or concurrent physiotherapy treatment. After providing informed consent, participants will be randomly allocated into two groups using a simple random sampling method. Both groups will undergo 18 treatment sessions, with three sessions per week on alternate days, over a four-week period. The strain counterstrain technique will be performed by the therapist locating the tender point in the piriformis muscle belly and holding a position of comfort for 90 seconds. The active release technique will involve deep digital pressure applied by the therapist while the patient actively rotates the limb, with the total treatment time per session being approximately 15 minutes. Statistical analysis will be performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.
58 studies on the registry are indexed under Piriformis Muscle Syndrome; 23 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 56 is above the median of 42 across 52 interventional studies indexed under Piriformis Muscle Syndrome.
Browse Piriformis Muscle Syndrome studies →University of Faisalabad is the lead sponsor of 86 studies on the registry; 27 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
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Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants in this group will receive the Strain Counterstrain (SCS) technique. With the patient in a prone position, the therapist will locate the tender point in the piriformis muscle. The hip will be passively positioned in 60-90 degrees of flexion and abduction with rotation to find a position of comfort. This position will be held for 90 seconds to release muscle tension, after which the leg is passively returned to neutral. This will be supplemented by baseline treatment including a hot pack and TENS.
Procedure: SCS
Participants in this group will receive the Active Release Technique (ART). A heating pad will be applied to the targeted muscle for 10-15 minutes. The therapist will then apply deep pressure to the identified tender point while the patient actively rotates the limb from internal to external rotation. The treatment will last approximately 15 minutes per session. This will be supplemented by baseline treatment including a hot pack and TENS.
Procedure: ART
A manual therapy technique used to treat soft tissue dysfunction. After warming the muscle with a heating pad for 10-15 minutes, the therapist applies deep digital pressure to the tender point of the piriformis muscle belly. The patient actively rotates the limb from internal to external rotation against the therapist's pressure. This is done for approximately 15 minutes per session to release adhesions and improve soft tissue flexibility. The treatment is administered three times a week for a total of four weeks
A manual therapy technique based on the principle of finding a position of comfort to alleviate pain and muscle spasm. With the patient prone, the therapist identifies the tender point in the piriformis muscle. The patient's hip is passively abducted and flexed to 60-90 degrees, and rotated to position the muscle in a shortened state to reduce pain. This position is maintained for 90 seconds. The therapist then passively returns the leg to the neutral position. The treatment is administered three times a week for a total of four weeks.
Primary
Pain will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). This is an 11-point scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Participants will be asked to rate their current pain intensity at rest and during movement.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Change in Pain Severity
Change in Pain Severity
Time frame: Baseline and Week 4
Plan to share: Undecided
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from Mar 2026 to primary completion in Aug 2026, 4 months.
Of 38 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Piriformis Muscle Syndrome, half reached primary completion within 6 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 12. This study's 4 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 38 studies reached it within 6 months; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 12.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Faisalabad