The possibility of changes of brain activity following myofascial release in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain: A hypothesis

Abstract

One of the most controversial scopes in clinical studies is chronic low back pain (CLBP), especially chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP). In addition to tissue changes, functional changes, and brain connections have been proven in studies after the onset of chronic low back pain. In the studies conducted in this field, many interventions have been compared in clinical (pain, limited range of motion, disability, and other related symptoms) and paraclinical (imaging and laboratory findings) results. One of the causes of low back pain is the involvement of the thoracolumbar fascia and, as a result, the disruption of the fascial receptors. on the other hand, myofascial release techniques are considered as a manual treatment with a specific transient effect on fascia receptors that can lead to changes in clinical outcomes. In recent years, the recording of brain parameters through electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed that the myofascial release technique may modulate/regulate brain activities and connections in patients with CNSLBP.