Effects of the Ergon® instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization technique (IASTM), foam rolling, and static stretching application to different parts of the myofascial lateral line on hip joint flexibility.
Maria Simatou, Maria Papandreou, Evdokia Billis and 3 others
PMID 32273652WHAT IT FOUND
Applying instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) to the lateral line improved hip flexibility more than foam rolling or stretching.
Treating either the upper or lower section alone worked as well as treating the whole line. Results apply to short-term changes in healthy young adults.
Key findings
01All three IASTM interventions on the treated side led to significantly greater improvement in hip adduction range of motion compared to foam rolling and stretching.
02Applying IASTM to only the upper or only the lower part of the lateral line significantly increased hip flexibility, with no significant difference between these two sites.
03Static stretching improved hip adduction range of motion, but a single application was insufficient to produce effects comparable to the more targeted myofascial techniques.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only thirty healthy young university students, so results cannot be generalized to older adults or patients with musculoskeletal pathologies, whose fascial properties differ. Range of motion was measured with a goniometer, which has a known standard measurement error compared to more precise equipment like 3D movement analysis. The study assessed only short-term changes immediately after treatment, so it is unknown how long the increased hip flexibility lasts or how frequently treatments are needed. The sample size was small and the design was a pilot, limiting the certainty of the findings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the ethical committee of the School of Health Rehabilitation Sciences of the University of Patras.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these immediate flexibility gains in healthy young adults will persist long-term or apply to patients with chronic conditions or altered tissue stiffness, as the study only measured short-term effects in a small, healthy sample.