Supervisors info:
Μανδαλίδης Δημήτριος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Σχολή Επιστήμης Φυσικής Αγωγής και Αθλητισμού, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Κοσκολού Μαρία, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Σχολή Επιστήμης Φυσικής Αγωγής & Αθλητισμού Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Φουσέκης Κωνσταντίνος, Καθηγητής, Σχολή Επιστημών Αποκατάστασης Υγείας, Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών
Summary:
The calf muscles have the tense to get thigh.This thightness expressed by ankle’s dorsiflexion ROM limitation. As a result of this tightness is the is the change in various motor patterns and the increase in the injury risk mainly to the lower limb. Muscle relaxation has been the subject of many studies in which different techniques have been used (e.g. foam rollers, self-stretching exercises, IASTM etc.). The results showed that depending on the duration of application, they may or may not affect the physiology of the tissues as well as the functionality of the limb. However, several parameters have not yet been studied. Investigating and comparing these relaxation techniques on ankle and lower extremity functionality will help in choosing the most effective muscle relaxation technique. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects that different relaxation techniques have on the functionality of the ankle joint.
Thirteen young healthy subjects, without painful syndromes and/or injuries in the last year, with dorsiflexion range of motion ≤13°at least on one leg, participated in the present study. The functional evaluation of the ankle was performed before and after the application of a relaxation technique and included assessment of ankle’s dorsiflexion range of motion, strength of the plantar flexors, dynamic balance, and gait. The relaxation techniques which used was self-stretching on an inclined surface with an inclination of 3° less than the ankle’s dorsiflexion ROM in a closed kinetic chain (3x 30s with knee flexed and extented), foam roller (3x 30s for the inner and outer surface) and intrument assisted myofascial release (6 min total application).
The relaxation techniques were performed in three sessions seven days apart. The statistical analysis of the data was performed with the SPSS 25.0 statistical processing and data analysis software (IBMCorp, Armonk, NY, USA), while the level of significance was set at the p≤0.05 level.
The results of the study showed a significant difference in the effect of the techniques on the range of motion of dorsiflexion. They also showed a significant difference in the maximum pressure from the heel before and after the self stretching. All other parameters did not show any significant difference after applying the techniques.
According to the results of the above study, a single session of static stretching, foam rolling, or IASTM on the posterior compartment of the tibia increases the range of motion of the PTA in subjects with joint motion limitation, without affecting the isometric strength of the underlying muscles, dynamic body balance, or lower extremity functionality. The increase in the range of motion of the PDC was also greater after IASTM, followed by foam roller rolling and static self-stretching.
Keywords:
relaxation, calf, foam roller, stretching, iastm
