Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Prior studies have shown that self- and manual massage SMM increases flexibility in non-adjacent body areas. It is unclear whether this also influences performance in terms of force generation. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of SMM on the plantar surface on performance in the dorsal kinetic chain.
Seventeen young participants took part in this within-subject non-randomized controlled study. SMM was applied on the plantar surface of the dominant leg, but not on the non-dominant leg. A functional performance test of the dorsal kinetic chain, the Bunkie Test, was conducted before and after the intervention. We measured the performance in seconds for the so-called posterior power line PPL and the posterior stabilizing line PSL.
The performance of the dominant leg in the Bunkie Test decreased significantly by This is in contrast to the non-dominant leg where performance increased significantly by 5. SMM interventions on the plantar surface might influence the performance in the dorsal kinetic chain. This study investigated the acute effects of self- and therapeutic massage on the plantar fascia on performance in the dorsal kinetic chain. Our results showed a significantly reduced performance of the treated leg after the intervention.
Key words: Fascial chain, myofascial release, foam rolling, plantar fascia, superficial backline, Bunkie Test. Fascia used to be seen as a simple connective packaging tissue. However, that has changed over the past few years and it is now considered to be a three dimensional, functional structure which supports the interaction of body systems Adstrum et al. Within this tensegrity network, fascial continuity was observed along functional muscle groups.
One of these fascial chains is the superficial backline SBL , whose existence is widely accepted. It expands from the plantar fascia PF , over the Achilles tendon, the gastrocnemii muscles, the hamstrings, the sacrotubero-us ligament, the back and, eventually, the head Myers, ; Stecco et al. Prior reviews have shown that self- and manual massage techniques SMM increased acutely either the range of motion of single joints or along myofascial chains Cheatham et al.
