The Influence of a Single Instrument-Assisted Manual Therapy (IAMT) for the Lower Back on the Structural and Functional Properties of the Dorsal Myofascial Chain in Female Soccer Players: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Patrick Weber; Werner Klingler; Robert Schleip; Nadine Weber; Christine Joisten

doi:10.3390/jcm11237110

The Influence of a Single Instrument-Assisted Manual Therapy (IAMT) for the Lower Back on the Structural and Functional Properties of the Dorsal Myofascial Chain in Female Soccer Players: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial

J Clin Med. 2022 Nov 30;11(23):7110. doi: 10.3390/jcm11237110.

Authors

Patrick Weber^{1

2}, Werner Klingler^{3

4

5}, Robert Schleip^{6

7}, Nadine Weber², Christine Joisten¹

Affiliations

¹ Department for Physical Activity in Public Health, Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany.
² PANOVIA Medical Cooperative Society, 50354 Hürth, Germany.
³ Anaesthesiology, SRH Hospitals Sigmaringen, 72488 Sigmaringen, Germany.
⁴ Experimental Anaesthesiology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany.
⁵ Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia.
⁶ Conservative and Rehabilitative Orthopaedics, Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80809 Munich, Germany.
⁷ Department for Medical Professions, Diploma University of Applied Sciences, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Instrument-assisted manual therapy (IAMT) is indicated to improve flexibility, reduce pain, and induce hyperaemia locally and along myofascial chains. The underlying effects are largely unclear. This randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study aimed to gain first insights into these effects, primarily on the structural level, through ultrasonography. Methods: 67 healthy female soccer players aged 20.9 (±3.9) years were examined after right lumbar intervention (IAMT: intervention group (IG), heat application: comparison group (CG), pressure-less placebo: placebo group (PG)). Ultrasonography (absolute movement and shear motion), flexibility tests (passive straight leg raise test (PSLR), lumbar and thoracic double inclinometry), and superficial skin temperature were recorded before (t0), immediately (t1) and 45 min after the intervention (t2). Results: IAMT decreased the absolute mobility of the superficial lamina and its shear motion to the superficial fascia compared with the PG (t1; p < 0.05). PSLR improved in the IG compared with the CG (t2) and PG (t1, t2; p < 0.05). The temperature increased in the IG and CG compared with the PG (t1, t2) and in the CG compared with the IG (t1; p < 0.05). Conclusion: IAMT of the lumbar back briefly reduces absolute mobility of the superficial lamina and its shear motion to the superficial fascia, improves flexibility, and increases the temperature.

Keywords: athletes; connective tissue; instrument-assisted; lumbar fascia; manual therapy; myofascial; placebo-controlled; range of motion; treatment; ultrasonography.

Grants and funding

The investigation was funded by the Verein zur Förderung der Faszienforschung e.V. (www.faszienforschung.de, a non-profit charity for fascia research), which covered the publication costs, and by the university-internal research funding (HIFF) of the German Sport University Cologne, which provided technical support and material investments. Neither of these institutions had any participation rights in the design, execution, analysis, or publication of the data.