Journal of Novel Physiotherapies
Open Access

Research Article

The Effectiveness of Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Technique (Ergon© Technique), Cupping and Ischaemic Pressure Techniques in the Treatment of Amateur Athletes΄ Myofascial Trigger Points

¹Human Assesment and Rehabilitation Lab, Department of Physiotherapy, Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece, Greece

²Department of Physiotherapy, IASO General Hospital, Athens

³Clinical Practice Lab, Department of Physiotherapy, Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Greece

*Corresponding Author:

Dr. Konstantinos Fousekis
Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece
Psaron 6, Egio 25100, Greece
Tel: +302810229000
Email: konfousekis@gmail.com

Received date: May 25, 2016; Accepted date: July 04, 2016; Published date: July 16, 2016

Citation: Fousekis K, Kounavi E, Doriadis S, Mylonas K, Kallistratos E, et al. (2016) The Effectiveness of Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Technique (Ergon^© Technique), Cupping and Ischaemic Pressure Techniques in the Treatment of Amateur Athletes΄ Myofascial Trigger Points . J Nov Physiother S3:009. doi:10.4172/2165-7025.S3-009

Copyright: © 2016 Fousekis K, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of a novel Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization technique (Ergon© Technique), cupping therapy, and ischaemic pressure technique in the treatment of active myofascial Trigger-points (MTrPs) at the low-back region of amateur soccer players. Design: Randomised controlled clinical trial. Methods: Seventy (70) amateur soccer players (age=24.76 ± 4.39; height=174.98 ± 8.31 cm; weight=73.26 ± 11.21 kg) were evaluated for the presence of active MTrPs in their low-back region and were randomly allocated to three subgroups. The first group (N=20) was treated with Εrgon-IASTM Technique©, the second (N=20) with a static application of cupping therapy and the third group (N=20) with ischaemic pressure. Ten (10) players received no treatment and served as controlsgroup. All athletes received one (1) therapeutic intervention per week for three (3) weeks. Outcome measures were MTrPs pain pressure threshold (PPT) and pain sensitivity (VAS). Results: All three therapeutic interventions led to a significant (p<0.05) reduction in MTrPs pain sensitivity and an increase in PPT at the end of the treatment compared with controls. The Εrgon©-IASTM Technique produced a significantly larger effect (p<0.05) in the reduction of pain and PPT during compression of MtrPs compared with cupping and ischaemic pressure technique. These therapeutic adaptations after Εrgon©-IASTM Technique application were evident even from the first treatment (p<0.05) and reinforced by the end of the third treatment (p<0.001). No significant difference (p>0.05) was observed between cupping and ischaemic pressure techniques for their impact on MTrPs. Conclusions: The Ergon©-IASTM technique can serve as a first treatment options for sports physiotherapists when they manage Low-back MTrPs in amateur athletes. More research is needed in order definite conclusion to be drawn regarding the effects of this novel therapeutic intervention on MTrPs.

Keywords