Massage is commonly administered to reduce muscle stiffness and enhance recovery from exercise. However, the effect that massage has on muscle stiffness following exercise has not been researched. A study from Singapore published in Journal of Sport Science & Medicine examined the effect of post-exercise massage on passive muscle stiffness over a five-day period. The
Touch is an important communication channel for humans that is key to manual therapy. Several studies have demonstrated that the stimulation of sensory/afferent touch fibers activates specific brain areas in the person (subject/client) receiving the touch stimulus. We also know that the activation pattern of our central nervous system is influenced by the attention that
The morphology of fascial connective tissue may play an important role in locomotor mechanics. The connective tissue, more specifically the deep fascia, can impact range of motion in two ways. First, fascia is connected to the underlying muscle along its full peripheral length. Changes in the fascia’s mechanical properties (e.g. altered stiffness) might restrict the
Foam rolling has become a popular self-treatment adjunct to manual therapy. It is prescribed to increase range of motion (ROM) and improve pain tolerance. In particular, foam rolling over the iliotibial band (ITB) is a popular treatment for ITB syndrome, patellofemoral pain syndrome, runner’s knee, and hip bursitis. Past studies demonstrated that foam rolling increases
A study from Brazil published in Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation investigated the acute effects of static stretching on skin temperature, flexibility, passive muscle stiffness, and pain during hamstring stretching in healthy young subjects. Why would this be important? Because if stretching increases skin temperature, then it can be assumed that it increases the temperature of the myofascial tissues. This
Can a “tight” sciatic nerve restrict ankle joint range of motion? If so, nerve mobilization technique should be effective toward increasing dorsiflexion of the ankle joint. It is commonly believed that maximal ankle joint range of motion (ROM) into dorsiflexion is restricted by the tension within the plantar flexor muscles (e.g., gastrocnemius, soleus, tibialis posterior,
A recent research on the lateral collateral ligament complex – anterior talofibular ligament, calcaneofibular ligament, and posterior talofibular ligament – has yielded some new findings: There are ligament fibers that connect the anterior talofibular ligament to the calcaneofibular ligament. These connecting fibers are described as arciform because of they are arc-shaped. Therefore, the anterior talofibular
Neck pain is a common condition, with prevalence of 30% to 50% of the population annually. While massage is commonly used for treating neck pain, there is no guideline for an optimal dose. The term “optimal dose” being defined by two factors: the optimal amount of time spent massaging the neck during each treatment the
Warm-up stretching is usually performed before an exercise with the aim to reduce the risk of injuries and improve performance. There have been controversial studies that have shown that although static stretching of a muscle-tendon (myofascial) unit temporarily improves joint range of motion (ROM), the static stretching can also temporarily impact the muscles’ ability to
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory condition characterized by progressive airflow limitation that is associated with an inflammatory response The Effect of COPD on Breathing COPD causes expiratory flow limitation (difficulty breathing out) and air trapping (residual air left in the lungs), known clinically as dynamic hyperinflation. This phenomenon leads to increases in
