Myofascial Treatment on the Plantar Surface Influence Functional Performance along the Superficial Back Line

Massage or manual therapy application on one site on a myofascial chain has been shown to affect the range of motion of other sites along the chain. For example, foam rolling on the plantar surface led to an acute increase in the dorsal thigh and lower back range of motion. This suggests that fascial chains might modify their properties or functional capacities along the myofascial chain. Some hypothesized this is due to force transmission along myofascial chains, while others said it is due to altered global pain perception and enhanced stretch tolerance.

However, the myofascial chain effect in terms of performance or force generation is still unclear. A team headed by Technical University Munchen in Germany investigated the effect of myofascial massage treatment on the plantar surface on performance in the dorsal kinetic chain or also known as superficial back line. The study was pubslidhed in Journal of Sports Science and Medicine

Seventeen young participants took part in this within-subject non-randomized controlled study. The question was whether myofascial massage on the plantar surface of the dominant leg created a difference in force generation in the dorsal kinetic chain between the legs.

A 10-minute treatment of foam rolling and massage was applied only on the plantar surface of the dominant leg. A functional performance test of the dorsal kinetic chain (superficial back line), called the Bunkie Test, was conducted before and after the intervention. The parameters were called posterior power line (PPL) and the posterior stabilizing line (PSL).

The study found that immediately after the massage treatment, the performance of the dominant leg in the Bunkie Test decreased significantly by 17.2% for the PPL and by 16.3% for the PSL. However, on the non-dominant leg (control) the performance increased significantly by 5.1% for the PPL and by 3.1% for the PSL.

The authors hypothesized that one cause of this increase in performance of the control side was due to a training effect, as the test was first performed on the dominant leg, with a time interval of ten minutes.  However, stimulation of the sensory receptors might lead to neurological modulation, also called the crossover effect. In explaining the decline in force, the authors pointed to the decreased spinal motor neuron excitability after a massage, which can reduce motor unit recruitment and firing rate.

The authors concluded that massage intervention on the plantar surface might influence the performance in the dorsal kinetic chain. In sports massage, it is recommended to perform massage and foam rolling after the exercise to avoid a possible detrimental effect on performance.

Source: Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2021) 21, 13 – 22   DOI: https://doi.org/10.52082/jssm.2022.13