ºÚÁÏÍø

Abstract

Study Background: The most significant myofascial chain of the human body that connects and controls the entire posterior surface of the body is the superficial back line (SBL). Part of the SBL is formed by the biceps femoris and erector spinae muscles bonded through the sacrotuberous ligament and lumbar fascia. Given that postural compensation patterns associated with SBL dysfunction include increased lordosis and hamstrings shortness, this study examined the acute effects of Ergon�® IASTM Therapy (EIT) application on upper and lower part of SBL on hamstring flexibility. Methods: Sixty college students were recruited from the Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece, who had hamstring flexibility deficiencies. The participants were randomly divided into three groups and received either a single, 10-minute myofascial EIT treatment of either the upper part-trunk- (n=20) or the lower partâ��the lower extremities- (n=20) of the SBL or served as control group (n=20). Hamstringsâ�� flexibility was measured both before and after the therapy with the Sit and reach test. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine if there were differences in flexibility gains between the pre and post measurements between groups. Results: Statistically significant differences (f=29.11, p=0.00) in flexibility benefits were found for the groups receiving Ergon�® IASTM Therapy, regardless of the site of the treatment, compared with the control group. More specifically, SR values gains for both subgroups that received treatment of the upper (trunk) and lower (lower extremities) part of the SBL were significantly higher (p=0.000, respectively) than those of the control group. No significant difference was identified for the SR gains between the treatment groups (P=1.00). Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that Ergon�® IASTM Therapy application on either the trunk or the lower extremities is an effective therapy for improving the SBL flexibility immediately following the therapy.

Biography

Konstantinos Fousekis is an Associate Professor in Sports Physiotherapy at the Department of Physical Therapy, Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece. He is a Physiotherapist specializing in soft tissue mobilization techniques (IASTM). He has years of experience in treating musculoskeletal and sports injuries and is a Professional Physical Therapist for several professional soccer teams. His research interests deals with the assessment and rehabilitation of sports and musculoskeletal injuries using IASTM techniques. In cooperation with Konstantinos Mylonas, he created the ERGON® IASTM Technique as a basic treatment of painful and non-musculoskeletal disorders.