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Injury;SportsNCT07005934

Effects of Percussion Therapy on the Biomechanics of Pickleball Movement

A study testing Theragun Prime in people with Injury;Sports and Muscle Soreness, run by Point Loma Nazarene University at 1 site in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

With increased demand on pickleball as a recreational exercise, it is of interest in investigating the biomechanical characteristics of pickleball and determining the impacts of percussion therapy on them. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Injury;Sports, Muscle Soreness
What is being tested?
Theragun Prime
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
27 Jun 2025to 31 Mar 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age range: 18 - 80 years old
  • Free from injury in lower extremity for the last 6 months
  • Plays pickleball regularly defined as self-reported participation on at least a weekly basis for a year or more

Who cannot join

  • Joint injury within previous 6 months

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • PLNU x Padres Biomechanics Laboratory

    San Diego, California, 92123

Other trials in United States

About this study

With increased demand on pickleball as a recreational exercise, it is of interest in investigating the biomechanical characteristics of pickleball and determining the impacts of percussion therapy on them. This study aims to examine the effects of percussion therapy on the biomechanics of pickleball movement and muscle activation patterns in recreational pickleball players. It is hypothesized that kinematics and kinetics of pickleball performance improves after 4 weeks of percussion therapy.

Read the detailed description

Pickleball has rapidly increasing its playing population among people with different ages and performance levels. While pickleball is keeping people of all age active, injury prevalence of recreational pickleball players particularly for elderly populations has rapidly become a great concern in health care in recent years. It is crucial not only for individuals who play the sports but also for sports medicine professionals to prevent injuries and assure wellbeing of pickleball players. Percussion therapy with a handheld massage gun has widely utilized both in clinical or sports settings and by individuals as a self-care device, allowing the treatment popular and accessible. While previous research has examined acute effects of percussion therapy, the impacts of percussion therapy on exercise performance are not yet fully understood mainly due to diverse designs, protocols, and qualities of previous studies. Moreover, little is known how biomechanical characteristics (i.e., joint kinematics and kinetics) of sports specific movements of pickleball are altered after the percussion therapy. With Increased demand on pickleball as a recreational exercise, it is of interest in investigating the biomechanical characteristics of pickleball and determining the impacts of percussion therapy on them. The proposed project aims to examine the effects of percussion therapy on the biomechanics of pickleball movement and muscle activation patterns in recreational pickleball players. It is hypothesized that kinematics and kinetics of pickleball performance improves as well as static joint range of motion (ROM) after the percussion therapy.

Being tested
Theragun Prime
Keywords
kinematics, kinetics, electromyography
Medical subject headings
Athletic Injuries, Myalgia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Theragun PrimeDevice

    Percussion massager

Study groups in NCT07005934
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ControlNo interventionNo percussive therapy will be applied to participants in this group.
InterventionExperimentalPercussive therapy will be applied to participants in this group.
Receives: Device: Theragun Prime

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Passive hip flexion range-of-motion (ROM)

    Passive flexion ROM (degrees) of the dominant hip

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

  2. Passive knee flexion range-of-motion (ROM)

    Passive flexion ROM (degrees) of the dominant knee

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

  3. Peak hip extensor moment

    Peak extensor moment (Nm) of the dominant hip during change-of-direction tasks

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

  4. Peak hip abductor moment

    Peak abductor moment (Nm) of the dominant hip during change-of-direction tasks

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

  5. Peak knee extensor moment

    Peak extensor moment (Nm) of the dominant knee during change-of-direction tasks

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

  6. Peak knee abduction moment

    Peak abduction moment (Nm) of the dominant knee during change-of-direction tasks

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

Secondary outcomes (2)

  1. Peak quadriceps group activation intensity

    Peak muscle activation via surface electromyography (EMG) as normalized by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (% MVIC) of the dominant quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastii muscles) during change-of-direction tasks

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

  2. Peak lateral hamstrings group activation intensity

    Peak muscle activation via surface electromyography (EMG) as normalized by the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (% MVIC) of the dominant lateral hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus muscles) during change-of-direction tasks

    Measured: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted5 Jun 2025
  2. Study start27 Jun 2025
  3. Primary completion31 Dec 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Mar 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This cross-sectional trial involves a single visit with two sessions of data collection in which performance of each participant will be assessed before and after a treatment session. * Test 1: passive range-of-motion (ROM) and 3D motion capture * Intervention: control group (flexibility and stretching treatment); intervention (flexibility and stretching treatment with percussive therapy) * Test 2: passive range-of-motion (ROM) and 3D motion capture
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
30 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07005934
Sponsor's protocol ID
PointLomaNU
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
26 Apr 2025
Last updated
1 Oct 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: There are no plans to share the data after study completion.

Publications

  • Ates R, Yasar P, Baskurt F, Baskurt Z, Ercan S. A Comparison of the Acute Effects of Percussion Massage Therapy and Static Stretching on Hamstring Elasticity. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2023 Jul;33(4):695-702. doi: 10.4314/ejhs.v33i4.16.

    PubMed 38784209

  • Azar FM, Lamplot JD, Bernholt DL, Spence DD. Pickleball: A Standard Review of Injury Prevalence and Prevention in a Rapidly Growing Sport. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2024 Nov 15;32(22):e1130-e1141. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-24-00151. Epub 2024 Jul 26.

    PubMed 39079099

  • Alvarado F, Valenzuela KA, Finn A, Avila EL, Crussemeyer JA, Nakajima M. The Biomechanical Effects of Percussive Therapy Treatment on Jump Performance. Int J Exerc Sci. 2022 Jul 1;15(1):994-1006. doi: 10.70252/UIIY1243. eCollection 2022.

    PubMed 36161205

  • Liu Z, Zhong Y, Maemichi T, Zhou Q, Okunuki T, Li Y, Kazuki W, Kumai T. Acute Effects of Local High-Frequency Percussive Massage on Deep Fascial and Muscular Stiffness and Joint Range of Motion in Young Adult Men. J Sport Rehabil. 2024 Mar 20;33(4):252-258. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2022-0455. Print 2024 May 1.

    PubMed 38508160

  • Sams L, Langdown BL, Simons J, Vseteckova J. The Effect Of Percussive Therapy On Musculoskeletal Performance And Experiences Of Pain: A Systematic Literature Review. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2023 Apr 1;18(2):309-327. doi: 10.26603/001c.73795. eCollection 2023.

    PubMed 37020441

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Theragun Prime in people with Injury;Sports and Muscle Soreness, run by Point Loma Nazarene University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Passive hip flexion range-of-motion (ROM) (time frame: Cross-sectional design with two tests over a 30 minute period (before and after a 20 minute intervention session)). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07005934, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Oct 2025.

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