Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Increased Hamstring Mobility.

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. A statistical analysis was completed using a 2 (intervention) × 2 (time) repeated-measures analysis of variance at α level ≤ .05. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three subjects between the age of 18-35 years old with bilateral hamstring tightness participated in this study. INTERVENTIONS: The IASTM and TC were administered on different legs for 5 minutes and over the entire area of the hamstring muscles. One TC was moved over the entire treatment area in a similar fashion as the IASTM. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The intervention measurements included soreness numeric rating scale, Sit-n-Reach (single leg for side being tested), goniometric measurement for straight-leg hip-flexion motion, and superficial skin temperature. The timeline for data collection included: (1) intervention measurements for the first randomized leg, (2) 5-minute treatment with the first intervention treatment, (3) intervention measurements repeated for postintervention outcomes, and (4) repeat the same steps for 1 to 3 with the contralateral leg and the other intervention. RESULTS: There was a main effect over time for Sit-n-Reach, measurement (pre-IASTM-29.50 [8.54], post-IASTM-32.11 [8.31] and pre-TC-29.67 [8.21], post-TC-32.05 [8.25]) and goniometric measurement (pre-IASTM-83.45 [13.86], post-IASTM-92.73 [13.20] and pre-TC-83.76 [11.97], post-TC-93.67 [12.15]; P < .05). CONCLUSION: Both IASTM and TC impacted hamstring mobility during a single treatment using only an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization technique without any additional therapeutic intervention.

Spinal reflex excitability and homosynaptic depression after a bout of whole-body vibration.

Although whole-body vibration (WBV) affects neuromuscular performance, it remains unclear whether the effects are due to spinal reflex potentiation or inhibition, or differ between muscle groups. This study aimed to identify the effect of WBV on measures of spinal reflex excitability (H-reflex) and homosynaptic depression (HD) in the soleus (SOL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles. H-reflex and HD measurements were made in the SOL and MG muscle of 20 participants before and after a bout of WBV. H-reflex and HD were measured every 15 seconds for 10 minutes post-WBV and averaged at 1-minute increments. H-reflex amplitude was depressed for the first minute post-vibration, whereas the effect of HD was reduced for the first 2 minutes post-vibration. WBV significantly decreases spinal reflex excitability and HD, but it does so transiently and independent of muscle group.

Ice application effects on peroneus longus and tibialis anterior motoneuron excitability in subjects with functional ankle instability.

Evidence that focally cooling the ankle joint facilitates soleus and peroneus longus spinal reflex activity in healthy subjects has been reported. This response has been confirmed in individuals with a history of joint pathology for the soleus but not in the peroneus longus and tibialis anterior. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ankle cooling on isokinetic eversion and inversion torque and in peroneus longus, tibialis anterior H-reflex (H(max):M(max)) in subjects with functional ankle instability (FAI). Twenty-four college aged subjects volunteered for this study. Peroneus longus and tibialis anterior H(max):M(max), and concentric eversion and inversion torque were recorded prior to and following each session. This protocol was used to compare FAI to healthy ankle group. There were no significant differences between groups. There were weak and no significant relationships between the corresponding muscles motoneuron excitability and their peak torque measurements. Ice application to the joint did not alter the peroneus longus or the tibialis anterior.

Hydration status does not have a significant effect on soleus motoneuron pool excitability.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hydration status on the soleus Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex): muscle response ratio in nine healthy subjects. Soleus H-reflex, urine specific gravity (USG), and body weight (BW) were collected prior to and following a 12-hr fluid restriction protocol and compared to euhydrated measures. Individual repeated measure ANOVAs compared H-reflex, USG, and BW across conditions. A main effect for hydration status was observed between the hypohydration and euhydration condition (p < .01). H-reflex and BW demonstrated no change from baseline across conditions. Although hypohydration creates deficits in muscle function, it does not appear to be the result of decreased central activation.