Efeito da liberação miofascial manual e instrumental sobre a dor musculoesqueléticas em atletas: ensaio clínico randomizado e controlado

Abstract

Recreational athletes frequently develop myofascial pain, resulting in trigger points depending on the intensity and volume of sports practice. Myofascial release is a type of soft tissue mobilization that involves applying a low-load, long-duration stretch to the myofascial complex, either manually or with the aid of instruments, at an intensity tolerable for the patient. The objective of the study was to compare the acute effects of a single session of manual myofascial release (LMM) or manual myofascial release associated with the use of instruments (LMM+I) on myofascial pain in recreational athletes, assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale. This was a randomized controlled clinical trial that included 120 athletes classified as active and very active according to the IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), divided into two groups: MMR and MMR+I. The VAS was used pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 24 hours later. Each session lasted 35 minutes. Statistical analysis included the Shapiro-Wilk and two-way repeated measures ANOVA tests. The study was completed by 73 participants in the MMR group and 47 in the MMR+I group. The results showed an average age of 31,38 (± 10,42) for MMR and 31,68 (± 13,27) for MMR+I. A significant intra-group difference in VAS scores was observed pre- and post-intervention, with MMR scores decreasing from 4,63 (± 2,05) to 2,30 (± 1,64) (p<.001) and MMR+I scores decreasing from 4,79 (± 2,29) to 2,34 (± 1,59) (p<.001). No significant difference was found in post-intervention and 24-hour VAS scores between the groups. It was concluded that both techniques were effective in reducing pain symptoms; however, neither was superior to the other.