Abstract
BackgroundMassage is often applied with the intention of improving flexibility or reducing stiffness in musculotendinous tissue. There is, however, a lack of supporting evidence that such mechanical effects occur. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of massage on the passive mechanical properties of the calf muscle complex.MethodsTwenty nine healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 45 years of age had their calf muscle compliance and ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) measured using an instrumented footplate before, immediately and 30 minutes after a ten minute application of deep massage or superficial heating to the calf muscle complex. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine differences between testing sessions and the types of intervention. Reliability testing for the measurement method was conducted using analysis of variance both within and between testing sessions.ResultsThere was no significant change in calf muscle stiffness or ankle dorsiflexion range of motion with or without the application of calf massage. Inter- and intra-session reliability were very high, ICC > 0.88 (p < 0.001).ConclusionsAlthough individuals’ perception of a change in tissue characteristics following massage has been reported, there was no evidence that soft tissue massage led to a change in the passive mechanical properties of the calf muscle complex. The findings of this study suggest that the use of massage to increase tissue flexibility prior to activity is not justified.
Highlights
Massage is often applied with the intention of improving flexibility or reducing stiffness in musculotendinous tissue
Stiffness, determined as the change in force per unit of change in muscle tendon unit (MTU) length [9] and calculated over the total joint range of motion (ROM), provides a measure that better represents changes in tissue mechanics following massage, as it accounts for changes in the force required to deform the tissue as well as the absolute magnitude of tissue deformation [9, 10]
Continuous measurement of passive stiffness in the calf muscle complex throughout the ankle joint ROM has reliably been obtained using an instrumented footplate which is rhythmically oscillated within the limits of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion
Summary
Massage is often applied with the intention of improving flexibility or reducing stiffness in musculotendinous tissue. Massage has been used therapeutically for millennia and involves the manual application of pressure to the soft tissues with the intention of providing beneficial mechanical, physiological, neurological and psychological effects [1] Evidence supporting these benefits is sparse and there has been little investigation of the mechanical effects of massage, despite its familiar synonym of “soft tissue mobilization”. Continuous measurement of passive stiffness in the calf muscle complex throughout the ankle joint ROM has reliably been obtained using an instrumented footplate which is rhythmically oscillated within the limits of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion This device records the applied torque and angular displacement of the ankle joint [11, 12]. The use of such an instrumented footplate affords a method to determine whether massage has a passive mechanical effect on the calf muscle complex and thereby enhance our understanding of the clinical utility of massage
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