Immediate effects of myofascial release on neuromechanical characteristics in female and male patients with low back pain and healthy controls as assessed by tensiomyography. A controlled matched-pair study.
BACKGROUND
Low back pain (LBP) is a major health issue in most industrialised countries. Lumbodorsal fascia has been advocated as a potential source of pain in the lumbopelvic region. Myofascial release constitutes a manual therapeutic approach focussing on the restoration of altered soft tissue function. No previous study has focused on quantifying neuromechanical effects of myofascial release on LBP patients through tensiomyography. The purpose of this study was to quantify immediate neuromechanical alterations of myofascial release on patients with LBP and healthy controls through tensiomyography parameters.


METHODS
The participants' (n = 30) bilateral lumbar erector spinae muscles were assessed via tensiomyography before and after a 6-min myofascial release treatment of the lumbodorsal fascia to evaluate the muscles' mechanical characteristics. Subjects with LBP (n = 15) were eligible to partake if they reported having had LBP for most days in the past 12 weeks. Muscle displacement (Dm [mm]), velocity of contraction (Vc [mm/s]), and lateral symmetry (Ls [%]) were assessed through tensiomyography testing.


FINDINGS
Statistical analyses revealed a significant increase for velocity of contraction in the right (p = .021) and left (p = .041) lumbar erector spinae for the subjects with LBP but not for the healthy controls (both p > .14).


INTERPRETATION
We suggested that myofascial release alters neuromechanical characteristics in subjects with LBP. Tensiomyography may be implemented in clinical settings to monitor intervention effects of the myofascial system, especially the tensiomyography parameter velocity of contraction.
['Lohr|Christine|C|', 'Medina-Porqueres|Ivan|I|']
D064131:Back Muscles D005260:Female D006801:Humans D017116:Low Back Pain D008161:Lumbosacral Region D008297:Male D008405:Massage D064170:Paraspinal Muscles
Back pain Fascia Fascia thoracolumbalis Mechanomyography Muscle contraction Myofascial induction