Repeated Massage Improves Swimmers’ Perceptions during Training Sessions

A study from Department of Physiotherapy, Sao Paulo State University  investigated the effects of repeated massage on the perceptive, functional, and performance outcomes of a sprint for competitive swimmers. A cross-over randomized controlled trial was conducted with 19 male and female swimmers between 12 and 20 years old. Participants received three 12-minute massage interventions over

The Effect of Single Instrument-Assisted Manual Therapy of Lower Back in Female Soccer Players

Instrument-assisted manual therapy (IAMT) is a technique used to rehabilitate soft tissues and enhance movement dynamics. It involves applying pressure, tensile, and shear forces to specific fibrous tissues to achieve targeted therapeutic deformation. IAMT is reported to provide pain relief, increase blood flow, and improve functionality and range of motion. The mechanisms behind these effects

The danger of mechanical massage of percussion devices

Recent years see the popularity of percussion or massage gun device, particular in sports training. The percussion causes vibration that can alter stretch reflex sensitivity and in turn affect the motor unit threshold, firing rate and maximal voluntary strength on muscle action. Massage gun has been used for recovery after exercise. According to a survey

The Effect of Massage Therapy on Pain after Surgery

Massage therapy has been reported to reduce pain and anxiety for some patients after surgery. However, the results from various studies are inconclusive. And thus, a review was conducted on results from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs)  to clarify the effects of massage therapy in the treatment of postoperative pain. The authors from the Hospital

Expectations affect pain sensitivity changes during massage

The effect of massage therapy is being debated. One method that has been suggested to enhance treatment effects is manipulating the pain mechanisms or factors that contribute to pain perception. A past study suggests that deep pressure massage that induces a moderate amount of pain elicits a hypoalgesic or decreased sensitivity to painful response compared

Myofascial therapies influence immunological parameters

A research from Spain investigated the effect of myofascial treatments on the modulation of immunological variables. The research was published in The Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The study recruited thirty-nine healthy male volunteers were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group underwent three manual therapy modalities: suboccipital muscle release,

A newly discovered structure on the rectus femoris

Researchers from University of Barcelona, Spain recently announced a newly discovered membrane at the origin of the proximal tendinous complex of the rectus femoris in the Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy journal. The rectus femoris is the most anterior layer of the quadriceps muscle group. It is the only one of the four muscles of the