ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND High-performance athletes, such as archers, require optimal proprioception and balance. Subclinical or underestimated metabolic and pathomechanic alterations in the suboccipital myofascia could lead to loss of performance in balance and proprioception. Therapeutic optimization of myofascia and its complex structures through noninvasive stimulation by mechanotransductive vibropressure could be a preliminary key factor in high-performance athletes for high-performance sport. CASE REPORT This study was conducted with 6 athletes from the Brazilian Olympic archery team to evaluate the impact of the Atlasprofilax intervention on body balance. The results were measured using a standardized medical stabilometric platform, which assessed static balance and proprioception capacity. One athlete underwent the intervention before the entire team was tested for balance and reflexes in their archery performance. The study found that the intervened athlete showed improved balance and reflexes, as indicated by superior scores in the risk of fall assessment and fall index. The results suggest the potential for the Atlasprofilax intervention to improve body balance and proprioception in high-performance athletes. CONCLUSIONS A single intervention using the Atlasprofilax method in 1 of 6 Olympic archers resulted in significant improvement in balance and proprioception when compared with that of the non-intervened athletes. This preliminary evidence suggests that the Atlasprofilax intervention on the suboccipital myofascia may have a positive impact on enhancing balance and performance in elite athletes by improving proprioception.
