The feasibility and impact of instrument-assisted manual therapy (IAMT) for the lower back on the structural and functional properties of the lumbar area in female soccer players: a randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study design

Abstract

Background: Myofascial (self-)treatments, such as foam rollers to therapeutic instruments in manual therapy, are utilized increasingly in prevention and therapy in healthy people, athletes, and patients suffering from chronic back pain. However, there is limited knowledge about the effectiveness of treatment and the underlying mechanisms of myofascial therapies, especially for instrument-assisted manual therapy (IAMT). Therefore, this pilot study will investigate the feasibility and impact of IAMT for the lumbar area compared with heat application and placebo treatment as a basis for calculating the sample size for further full studies. The primary outcomes will be a critical analysis of the feasibility of the measurement protocol in terms of time economy and expressiveness and of the short-and long-term effects on shear motion of the single tissue layers of the lower back obtained through ultrasound imaging. Secondary outcomes will include thickness and compressibility of the lumbar structures and flexibility of the dorsal structures, indentometry, and superficial skin temperature. Methods: A minimum of 60 healthy, competitive 15-35-year-old female soccer players will be recruited and randomised into three groups. Short-term effects of IAMT on thoracolumbar structures will be compared with heat application and pressure-less placebo treatment. Long-term effects in the IAMT group will be tested after nine further interventions over a 5week period (2×/week) and compared with the placebo group, which will not receive further treatments but will serve as a control. Intermediate and final testing of both groups will occur in weeks three and five.

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

“…The study design used had been published by Weber et al (2020) and was pre-registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00012252) on 20 June 2018 [ 37 ]. The initial results of the published study design for the functional and structural movement parameters in combination with the superficial skin temperature were presented to make an initial statement about the effects of IAMT on the functional and structural movement properties of the dorsal chain.…”

“…Herein, athletes were randomised into three even groups (1:1:1) via an urn (adaptive biased coin) design, using printed cards in closed envelopes indicating group allocation [ 37 , 38 , 39 ]. The intervention group (IG) received a standardised IAMT.…”

Immediate Effects of Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Hydration Content in Lumbar Myofascial Tissues: A Quasi-Experiment

“…Some authors emphasize that IASTM should increase range of motion and functionality due to improved blood flow and the associated increased tissue temperature. This would lead to pain relief and a positive change in the compressive, tensile and shear forces acting on the tissue [32][33][34]. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes are as yet unclear.…”

The Rolf Method of Structural Integration on Fascial Tissue Stiffness, Elasticity, and Superficial Blood Perfusion in Healthy Individuals: The Prospective, Interventional Study

“…All parameters were measured on both sides (bi-laterally) and at the same FT points ( Table 1). FT point location and the methods of their determination were selected based on the publications of various authors (Pruyn et al, 2016;Kisilewicz et al, 2018;Weber et al, 2020). In the absence of a precise description of the measurement point determination, the present study suggests the location of specific anthropometric points, which were treated as reference for determining the measurement point.…”