Journal of bodywork and movement therapies
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A theoretical framework for the role that fascia may play in apparently diverse passive manual therapies is presented. The relevant anatomy of fascia is briefly reviewed. Therapies are divided into myofascial ('soft tissue') and manipulative ('joint-based') and comparisons are made between them on a qualitative basis using measures of pain, function and 'autonomic activation'. ⋯ Viewed from a patients' perspective alone the therapeutic benefits are hard to distinguish. It is proposed that a biologically plausible mechanism which may generate a significant component of the observed effects of manual therapies of all descriptions, is the therapeutic stimulation of fascia in its various forms within the body. Such considerations may help explain why diverse therapies apparently give comparable results.
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Clinical Trial
A preliminary report of musculoskeletal dysfunction in female chronic pelvic pain: a blinded study of examination findings.
Female chronic pelvic pain is prevalent and causes disability. Can women with self-reported chronic pelvic pain (CPP) be distinguished from pain-free women by demonstrating a greater number of abnormal musculoskeletal findings on examination? ⋯ Abnormal findings on musculoskeletal exam are more common in women with self-reported CPP. Women with CPP might benefit from a faster time to diagnosis and improved treatment outcomes if a musculoskeletal contribution to CPP was identified earlier.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The effect of two manipulative therapy techniques and their outcome in patients with sacroiliac joint syndrome.
To compare the effect of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) manipulation with SIJ and lumbar manipulation for the treatment of SIJ syndrome. ⋯ A single session of SIJ and lumbar manipulation was more effective for improving functional disability than SIJ manipulation alone in patients with SIJ syndrome. Spinal HVLA manipulation may be a beneficial addition to treatment for patients with SIJ syndrome.
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Increase in tissue blood flow is one of the most acknowledged potential effects of massage; however, actual research studies examining this phenomenon are inconsistent and inconclusive. One possible reason for continued uncertainty regarding this topic is methodology, specifically how tissue blood flow is measured because limitations exist in previously utilized technologies. ⋯ The combination of these two technologies has resulted in a novel hybrid diffuse optical instrument for simultaneous measurement of limb muscle blood flow and oxygenation. The purposes of this short report are to review previous blood flow measurement techniques and limitations in massage therapy research, introduce a novel hybrid near-infrared diffuse optical instrument that addresses previous limitations in the assessment of hemodynamic properties, outline a proposed massage therapy pilot study utilizing the novel measurement technology, and present sample data from a pilot participant using the introduced novel technology.