Core Stability and Hand Function in Dental Students
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Core Stability Exercise Program.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Core Stability, Hand Grip Strength, Manual Dexterity, Dental Students. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Effects of Core Stability Exercises on Core Endurance, Handgrip Strength, Pinch Grip Strength, and Manual Dexterity in Dental Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Overview
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
Interventions
- Behavioral Core Stability Exercise Program
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); W
Primary outcome measures
- Core Endurance [Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (3)
- Hand Grip Strength [Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks]
- Pinch Strength [Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks]
- Manual Dexterity [Time frame: Baseline and after 6 weeks]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
- Aged 18 years or older
- Right-hand dominant
- No diagnosed musculoskeletal, chronic systemic, or neurological disorder
- No regular exercise habits
- Able to understand and follow study instructions
- Able to speak and understand Turkish
- Willing to participate voluntarily and provide informed consen
Exclusion criteria
- History of spinal or upper extremity injury or surgery
- Presence of disc pathology or cervical spine disorders
- Severe pain affecting upper extremity function
- Any acute injury occurring during the study period that may affect performance
- Inability to complete assessments
- Withdrawal from the study for any reason
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Publications
- 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. PMID 33557483
- 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. PMID 39374044
- Jeffreys, Ian MSc, CSCS. Developing a Progressive Core Stability Program. Strength and Conditioning Journal 24(5):p 65-66, October 2002.
- 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. PMID 36458387
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07525414 · ErsoyU5112025