Ultrasound irradiation before high-load exercise reduces muscle rigidity associated with delayed-onset muscle soreness.
Shuhei Koeda, Tatsuki Yoshikawa, Chihiro Sato and 2 others
PMID 31871378WHAT IT FOUND
Ultrasound before exercise reduced muscle stiffness two days later compared to sham, but did not lower pain scores.
The stiffness reduction was a relative difference between groups, not a prevention of the exercise-induced increase itself.
Key findings
01Muscle rigidity was significantly greater after sham treatment than after ultrasound on day 2, indicating a relative reduction in stiffness with ultrasound.
02There was no significant difference in pain ratings between the ultrasound and sham conditions.
03Both conditions resulted in significantly increased muscle rigidity immediately after exercise compared to baseline.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only 28 healthy young adults, so results may not generalize to older populations or patients with pathology. The primary finding was a between-group difference in rigidity at day 2, not a within-group prevention of the exercise-induced increase, as both groups showed increased rigidity after exercise. The authors speculated on the mechanism (temperature rise) without measuring actual tissue temperature in this study.
Declared interests
None declared. Funded by a university grant for exploratory research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the result as ultrasound preventing muscle stiffness. Both groups experienced increased stiffness after exercise; ultrasound only resulted in significantly less stiffness than sham at day 2. It also did not reduce pain.