Abstract
Although manual therapy for pain relief has been used as an adjunct in treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is still the belief that a single session of myofascial release would be effective. This study was a crossover clinical trial aimed to investigate whether a single session of a specific myofascial release technique reduces pain and disability in subjects with CLBP. 41 participants over 18 years old were randomly enrolled into 3 situations in a balanced and crossover manner: experimental, placebo, and control. The subjects underwent a single session of myofascial release on thoracolumbar fascia and the results were compared with the control and placebo groups. The outcomes, pain and functionality, were evaluated using the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). There were no effects between-tests, within-tests, nor for interaction of all the outcomes, i.e., NPRS (η 2 = 0.32, F = 0.48, p = 0.61), PPT (η2 = 0.73, F = 2.80, p = 0.06), ODI (η2 = 0.02, F = 0.02, p = 0.97). A single trial of a thoracolumbar myofascial release technique was not enough to reduce pain intensity and disability in subjects with CLBP.
Highlights
Chronic non-specific low back pain (CLBP) is a condition characterized by pain, stiffness, and/or muscular tension [1] and is an important health problem throughout the world [2]
Myofascial release is a form of Manual therapy (MT), which involves the application of lowload and long-duration stretches to the myofascial complex
The mechanisms of action and effectiveness in individuals with CLBP are still unclear, myofascial release techniques are widely used by physical therapists in the management of CLBP, with the intent to restore the optimal length of the fasciae tissue, decrease pain intensity, and improve functionality [1,4,5,6,7,8,9]
Summary
Chronic non-specific low back pain (CLBP) is a condition characterized by pain, stiffness, and/or muscular tension [1] and is an important health problem throughout the world [2]. Manual therapy (MT) is a conservative intervention for treatment of CLBP [1,3,4]. The mechanisms of action and effectiveness in individuals with CLBP are still unclear, myofascial release techniques are widely used by physical therapists in the management of CLBP, with the intent to restore the optimal length of the fasciae tissue, decrease pain intensity, and improve functionality [1,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Previous reports point to the effects of stabilization or global physical exercise in pain relief in subjects with CLBP with few studies for manual techniques alone or as an adjunct therapy [10,11,12,13,14]
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