Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization

BACKGROUND: Distal bimelic amyotrophy (DBMA) also known as Hirayama disease, is a rare, self-limiting motor neuron disease manifesting as atrophy of C7-T1 innervated muscles. We present a case report describing the chiropractic management of neck and thoracic pain in a patient with known DBMA. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30 year-old black male U.S. veteran with DBMA presented with myofascial pain of the neck, shoulder, and back. A trial of chiropractic care was undertaken involving spinal manipulation of the thoracic spine and cervicothoracic region, manual and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, and home exercise prescription...

CONTEXT: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a popular myofascial treatment utilized by health care professionals. Currently, there is a lack of research on the effects of a light pressure IASTM treatment on the forearm region. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a light pressure IASTM technique at different application rates on grip strength and muscle stiffness. This study was considered exploratory with the goal of establishing methodology for future controlled studies...

Fifth metatarsal fractures are common foot injuries that involve the long bone on the outer side of the foot, and avulsion fractures involving the short bone and the fifth distal phalanx of the foot have never been reported. A 25-year-old female marathon runner sustained an avulsion fracture of the distal lateral phalanges of the fifth metatarsal. The patient's high functional demands necessitated a conservative approach to minimize complications and facilitate efficient fracture healing. The patient underwent a comprehensive chiropractic rehabilitation program that focused on progressive weight-bearing exercises, range-of-motion activities, strengthening exercises, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), therapeutic ultrasound, and laser therapy to stimulate the speed of healing...

BACKGROUND: Pronated foot is a deformity with various degrees of physical impact. Patients with a pronated foot experience issues such as foot pain, ankle pain, heel pain, shin splints, impaired balance, plantar fasciitis, etc. Objective: The study intended to compare the effectiveness of IASTM (instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization) and static stretching on ankle flexibility, foot posture, foot function, and balance in patients with a flexible pronated foot. METHODS: Seventy-two participants between the ages of 18-25 years with a flexible pronated foot were included and allocated into three groups: Control, stretching, and IASTM group using single-blinded randomization...

Knowledge of muscular forces and adaptations with hamstring-specific exercises can optimize exercise prescription and tendon remodeling; however, studies investigating the effectiveness of the current conservative management of proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) and outcomes are lacking. The purpose of this review is to provide insights into the efficacy of conservative therapeutic interventions in the management of PHT. In January 2022, databases including PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Embase were searched for studies assessing the effectiveness of conservative intervention compared with that of a placebo or combination of treatments on functional outcomes and pain...

BACKGROUND: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is thought to alter fluid dynamics in human soft tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of IASTM on the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) on the water content of the lumbar myofascial tissue. METHODS: In total, 21 healthy volunteers were treated with IASTM. Before and after the procedure and 5 and 10 min later, lumbar bioimpedance was measured by bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and TLF stiffness was measured by indentometry...

PURPOSE/AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the acute effects of IASTM on cervical joint position error and pain in individuals with chronic neck pain. METHODS: A total of 39 individuals with chronic neck pain were included in this study. Participants were randomized into three groups: Instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization(IASTM (n = 13), sham (n = 13), and control (n = 13). In the IASTM group, intervention was applied to the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles with an application time of 45 s and a frequency of 60 beats/min...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare Functional and Kinetic Treatment with Rehabilitation (FAKTR) combined with cryotherapy to cryotherapy alone in the treatment of acute grade I or II inversion ankle sprains. METHODS: This prospective, randomized clinical trial of adult (18-40 years of age) participants (n = 40) with acute grade I or II inversion ankle sprain of less than 3 weeks, who were randomly allocated into a FAKTR and cryotherapy group (n = 20) or a cryotherapy only group (n = 20)...

BACKGROUND: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a commonly utilized intervention for musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. However, little is known regarding the reliability of forces applied by clinicians of different experience levels during an IASTM intervention. PURPOSE: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess intra-clinician reliability of IASTM force (i.e., mean normal force) during a simulated, one-handed stroke IASTM intervention across different levels of IASTM clinical experience...

BACKGROUND: Stiffness is a common complication following trauma and surgeries around the elbow, which can result in upper limb functional disabilities. Soft tissue mobilization techniques such as Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and Muscle Energy Technique (MET) have limited evidence in elbow rehabilitation. This study aimed to compare their effects on postoperative elbow stiffness. METHODOLOGY: 26 subjects were recruited (13 each group) with postoperative elbow stiffness (minimum 6 weeks post surgery) and randomly allocated in two groups: IASTM and MET...

BACKGROUND: Although there are studies showing that extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM) methods are effective in chronic plantar heel pain (CPHP) treatment, there is a need for studies comparing these techniques. Our goal is to compare the effectiveness of ESWT vs IASTM using Graston Technique® (GT®) instruments in addition to stretching exercises (SEs) in CPHP. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups as ESWT+SEs (Gr I), GT®+SEs (Gr II) and SEs (CG) (ratio 1:1:1)...

BACKGROUND: Mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (MB-UKA) is an effective treatment for anteromedial knee osteoarthritis. Meticulous intraoperative soft tissue balancing remains challenging yet consequential for a successful operation. Currently, surgeons rely mostly on their experience during soft tissue balancing, yielding unreproducible results. The purpose of this study was to quantified measure the soft tissue tension of medial compartment and determine if an optimal "target" tension values with the natural state exists...

Instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM) represents a treatment strategy for soft tissue (skin) and musculoskeletal tissue (myofascia). There are different morphologies of these tools that are used by clinicians and manual therapists for the management of scars, fibrotic formations, muscle-joint pain, and movement limitations. The literature demonstrates the effectiveness of IASTMs in different clinical areas. However, the literature does not consider the use of these tools for the protection of the clinician's hands...

CONTEXT: Limited research reveals that the use of different soft tissue mobilization techniques increases tissue mobility in different regions of the body. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a difference between administering instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and therapeutic cupping (TC) on hamstring tightness. DESIGN: Subjects attended one session wherein treatment and leg order were randomized before attending the session...

BACKGROUND Aggressive sacral hemangiomas are extremely rare benign tumors that can extend into the spinal canal, causing neurologic symptoms. Research on these tumors is limited given their rarity, and they have no agreed-upon treatment strategy. We report the first case of an aggressive sacral hemangioma responding well to conservative care, including manual therapies. CASE REPORT A 56-year-old Asian woman presented upon referral to a chiropractic office in Hong Kong with a 6-month exacerbation of chronic low back and lower extremity pain and weakness, requiring the use of a cane to walk...

PURPOSES: To compare the effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and pressure algometry with sham ultrasound (control group) on the clinical measures of headache, pressure pain threshold (PPT) of upper trapezius and suboccipital muscles and cervical alignment in patients with tension type headache (TTH). METHODS: Seventy-two patients with TTH of both genders were randomly allocated to 3 experimental groups: a) the IASTM group (n=24), b) pressure algometry group (n=24), and c) sham ultrasound control group (n=24)...

PURPOSE: To critically appraise randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM) and quantify the effects of IASTM compared with other treatment in individuals with or without pathologies on function, pain, and range of motion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We search four electronic databases from January 1999 to January 2022 and included RCTs of healthy participants/athletes and people with upper, lower, or spinal conditions, who received IASTM versus other active treatment for clinical outcomes (function, pain, and range of motion)...

Clinicians utilize instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) to identify and treat myofascial dysfunction or pathology. Currently, little is known regarding the ability of clinicians to provide similar IASTM forces across treatment sessions. The authors' purpose was to quantify clinician reliability of force application during a simulated IASTM treatment scenario. Five licensed athletic trainers with previous IASTM training (mean credential experience = 5.2 [4.3] y; median = 5 y) performed 15 one-handed unidirectional sweeping strokes with each of the 3 instruments on 2 consecutive days for a total of 90 data points each...

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of routine physical therapy with and without instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilisation on pain intensity and range of motion in patients with neck pain due to upper crossed syndrome. METHODS: The randomised controlled trial was conducted from January to March 2020, and comprised diagnosed male patients aged 18-40 years of upper crossed syndrome complaining of neck pain visiting the Agile Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Complex and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan...

PURPOSE: To compare the ischaemic compression (IC) and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) in the treatment of MTrPs in addition to standard rehabilitation program in patients with rotator cuff tears. METHODS: Participants with rotator cuff tears were included the study ( n  = 46). Patients were randomly divided into two groups; which were Group 1 (IC + standard rehabilitation program ( n  = 23)), and Group 2 (IASTM + standard rehabilitation program ( n  = 23)) groups...