Naslov
The neuromotor effects of transverse friction massage

Autori
Begovic, Haris ; Zhou, Guang-Quan ; Schuster, Snježana ; Zheng, Yong-Ping

Izvornik
Manual Therapy (1356-689X) 26 (2016); 70-76

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
neurom efekt ; masaža ; sport
(neuromotor effects ; massage ; sport)

Sažetak
The transverse friction massage (TFM), described by James Cyriax in the 1940s has often been used in the chronic inflammatory conditions, promoting local hyperemia, analgesia and reduction of adherent scar tissue to ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Given its known clinical effectiveness, TFM has not been enough scrutinized in order to find out its effect on the neuromotor driving mechanism. In healthy subjects, this mechanism has recently been redefined with newly established methodology measuring a possible time required for an excitation-contraction (EC) coupling and force transmission during voluntary muscle contraction. The TFM reduces the excitability of the motoneuron pool when tested via Hoffman Reflex, carried out as an electromyographic response of mild electrical shock to the nerve. The petrissage massage (rhythmic grasping and releasing of the muscle tissue) reduces motor- neuron excitability via muscle spindles and golgi tendon organs as well. Other effects are reported as a freeing of the mechanoreceptive nevre ending, resulting from stretching of cutaneous and myofascial tissue, and consequently reducing the pain immediately after massage. Basicly, a number of studies have been agreed on this reduction of neuromotor exctability, as well as a reduction of the muscle stiffness quantified by ultrasonography, when massage was applied over the muscle. Albeit limited number of studies investigating an effect of applications over the tendon, there was observed a decrease in Hoffman Reflex, showing reduction of neuromotor excitablity in normal and hemiparetic patients after applied pressure on the Achilles tendon. This reduction is believed to be conveyed by Ia afferents from muscle spindles and consequently reducing an excitability in alpha-motor neurons suggesting an involvement of the possibly centrally mediated inhibition from higher motor centers. This centrally mediated inhibition has also been suggested to be a possible cause for the observed force reduction at slower muscle contraction velocities after a series of the massage applications to the iliotibial band. A decline in the power reduction was also reported after massaged the gastrocnemius muscle. On the other hand, a comprehensive study was shown that massage reduces neuromotor excitability but without affecting twitch contractile properties when interpreted analysing a peak torque and a time to peak torque parametres. To get some informations about the contractile properties of the muscle, the EC coupling, as a smallest contractile event, was determined measuring a time delay between an onset of the surface EMG signal and MMG signal. Fortunately, increasingly developing ultrasound technology and its reliability in the motion analysis, enabled to measure an onset of the fiber motion from inside the muscle and possible force transmission through the passive elastic components during a voluntary muscle contraction. This success made the motivation to set up an investigation and unveil potential changes of the contractile properties and force transmission after a TFM applied over the quadriceps femoris tendon. On this behalf, the aim of our study was to find out what kind of effects are produced in the muscle-tendon complex by a TFM applied over mechanoreceptor- rich tendon and MTJ. The time delay between an onset of surface EMG and US signal (EC coupling), US and FORCE signal (force transmission along the passive elastic components) and surface EMG and FORCE signal (electromechanical delay, EMD) was computed during voluntary muscle contractions before and after the TFM, in the investigation group and resting period in the age-gener matched control group. It was hypothesized that a TFM may produce twitch contractile changes (changes in EC coupling) inside the muscle when detected by centrally mediated voluntary muscle contraction.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Temeljne medicinske znanosti, Kliničke medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA