Can a Single Trial of a Thoracolumbar Myofascial Release Technique Reduce Pain and Disability in Chronic Low Back Pain? A Randomized Balanced Crossover Study

Luana Rocha Paulo; Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda; Fábio Luiz Mendonça Martins; José Sebastião Cunha Fernandes; Leonardo Sette Vieira; Cristiano Queiroz Guimarães; Sílvia de Simoni Guedes Ballesteros; Marco Túlio Saldanha Dos Anjos; Patrícia Aparecida Tavares; Sueli Ferreira da Fonseca; Murilo Xavier Oliveira; Mário Bernardo-Filho; Danúbia da Cunha de Sá-Caputo; Vanessa Amaral Mendonça; Redha Taiar

doi:10.3390/jcm10092006

Can a Single Trial of a Thoracolumbar Myofascial Release Technique Reduce Pain and Disability in Chronic Low Back Pain? A Randomized Balanced Crossover Study

J Clin Med. 2021 May 7;10(9):2006. doi: 10.3390/jcm10092006.

Authors

Luana Rocha Paulo^{1

2

3}, Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda^{1

4}, Fábio Luiz Mendonça Martins^{1

4}, José Sebastião Cunha Fernandes⁴, Leonardo Sette Vieira², Cristiano Queiroz Guimarães², Sílvia de Simoni Guedes Ballesteros², Marco Túlio Saldanha Dos Anjos⁵, Patrícia Aparecida Tavares³, Sueli Ferreira da Fonseca⁴, Murilo Xavier Oliveira^{1

4}, Mário Bernardo-Filho⁶, Danúbia da Cunha de Sá-Caputo⁶, Vanessa Amaral Mendonça^{1

4}, Redha Taiar⁷

Affiliations

¹ Postgraduate Program of Rehabilitation and Functional Performance (PPGReab), Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys (UFVJM), Diamantina 39803-371, Brazil.
² Academia Brasileira de Fascias, Juatuba 35675-000, Brazil.
³ Physiotherapy Departament, Una University Center, Divinópolis 35500-017, Brazil.
⁴ Physiotherapy Departament, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Diamantina 39803-371, Brazil.
⁵ Dinâmica Soluções em Saúde, Belo Horizonte 30210-590, Brazil.
⁶ Laboratory of Mechanical Vibrations and Integrative Practices, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20550-013, Brazil.
⁷ MATériaux et Ingénierie Mécanique (MATIM), Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51100 Reims, France.

Abstract

Although manual therapy for pain relief has been used as an adjunct in treatments for chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is still the belief that a single session of myofascial release would be effective. This study was a crossover clinical trial aimed to investigate whether a single session of a specific myofascial release technique reduces pain and disability in subjects with CLBP. 41 participants over 18 years old were randomly enrolled into 3 situations in a balanced and crossover manner: experimental, placebo, and control. The subjects underwent a single session of myofascial release on thoracolumbar fascia and the results were compared with the control and placebo groups. The outcomes, pain and functionality, were evaluated using the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). There were no effects between-tests, within-tests, nor for interaction of all the outcomes, i.e., NPRS (η ² = 0.32, F = 0.48, p = 0.61), PPT (η² = 0.73, F = 2.80, p = 0.06), ODI (η² = 0.02, F = 0.02, p = 0.97). A single trial of a thoracolumbar myofascial release technique was not enough to reduce pain intensity and disability in subjects with CLBP.

Keywords: chronic low back pain; fascia; myofascial release.