Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a core stability exercise program can improve core endurance, hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity in dental students. The study will include adult dental students who are enrolled at a university and do not have any musculoskeletal or neurological conditions.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does a 6-week core stability exercise program improve core endurance in dental students? Does the exercise program improve hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity compared to usual daily activities?
Researchers will compare a core stability exercise group to a control group to determine whether the exercise program is more effective than routine daily activities.
Participants will:
Be randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group Participate in a supervised core stability exercise program three times per week for 6 weeks (exercise group only) Continue their usual daily activities without additional exercise (control group) Undergo assessments of core endurance, hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity before and after the intervention period
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Stability Exercise Group | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive a supervised core stability exercise program for 6 weeks, performed three times per week. Each session will last approximately 30-45 minutes, including warm-up, core stabilization exercises, and cool-down phases. All sessions will be conducted under the supervision of a physiotherapist. |
|
| Control Group | No Intervention | Participants in this group will not receive any structured exercise program and will be instructed to continue their usual daily activities. They will be asked not to initiate any new exercise programs during the study period. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Stability Exercise Program | Behavioral | A structured and progressive core stability exercise program will be conducted over 6 weeks, with three supervised sessions per week. Each session will last 30-45 minutes and include warm-up, core stabilization exercises, and cool-down. The program consists of three progressive phases: Weeks 1-2 focus on core activation and static exercises on a stable surface (e.g., abdominal draw-in, bridge, plank); Weeks 3-4 include dynamic exercises on a stable surface (e.g., bird-dog, curl-up, superman); Weeks 5-6 involve resistance and unstable surface training (e.g., Swiss ball exercises, rotational movements, resisted exercises). All sessions will be supervised by a physiotherapist. Exercise intensity and progression will be individualized based on participant performance, and safety will be monitored throughout. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Core Endurance | Core endurance will be assessed using the McGill core endurance test battery, including trunk flexor endurance, trunk extensor endurance, and side bridge tests. The duration (in seconds) that participants can maintain each position will be recorded. | Baseline and after 6 weeks |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Hand Grip Strength | Hand grip strength will be measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer. Three measurements will be taken for each participant, and the average value will be used for analysis. | Baseline and after 6 weeks |
| Pinch Strength |
Not provided
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akın Süzer, PT, PhD | Contact | +90 555 484 3024 | akinsuzer@mehmetakif.edu.tr |
Not provided
Not provided
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33557483 | Background | Abd-Elfattah HM, Aly SM. Effect of Core Stability Exercises on Hand Functions in Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy. Ann Rehabil Med. 2021 Feb;45(1):71-78. doi: 10.5535/arm.20124. Epub 2021 Feb 9. | |
| 39374044 | Background | Suzer A, Buker N, Gungor HR, Ok N, Savkin R. Effects of telerehabilitation-implemented core stability exercises on patient-reported and performance-based outcomes in total knee arthroplasty patients: randomised controlled trial. Physiother Theory Pract. 2025 Jun;41(6):1213-1227. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2024.2411312. Epub 2024 Oct 7. |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D009043 | Motor Activity |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001519 | Behavior |
Not provided
Not provided
Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group (core stability exercise program) or the control group (no structured exercise). The study follows a parallel-group design, where both groups are observed concurrently without crossover. The intervention group will receive a supervised 6-week core stability exercise program, while the control group will continue their usual daily activities. Outcome measures will be assessed before and after the intervention period.
Not provided
Not provided
Outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to group allocation. The intervention provider and participants will not be blinded due to the nature of the exercise intervention.
|
Pinch strength will be measured using a pinch meter, including tip-to-tip, lateral (key pinch), and palmar (three-point pinch) grip types. Three measurements will be taken and averaged.
| Baseline and after 6 weeks |
| Manual Dexterity | Manual dexterity will be assessed using the Purdue Pegboard Test, including dominant hand, non-dominant hand, both hands, and assembly tasks. Scores will be recorded as the number of items completed within specified time periods. | Baseline and after 6 weeks |
| Background | Jeffreys, Ian MSc, CSCS. Developing a Progressive Core Stability Program. Strength and Conditioning Journal 24(5):p 65-66, October 2002. |
| 36458387 | Background | Jha P, Nuhmani S, Kapoor G, Al Muslem WH, Joseph R, Kachanathu SJ, Alsaadi SM. Efficacy of core stability training on upper extremity performance in collegiate athletes. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2022 Dec 1;22(4):498-503. |