Body balance after fascial therapy in athletes with soft lower limb muscle injuries

Abstract

Background: Most injuries in competitive sports are due to overstrain and excessive muscular and fascial tension. This study aimed to assess the effects of a single session of fascial therapy on balance and lower limb weight-bearing in professional athletes following a lower limb soft-tissue injury. Methods: A pedobarographic platform was used to assess the weight-bearing on both lower limbs and corporal balance. A total of 41 athletes with an acute soft-tissue injury involving the quadriceps femoris muscle were included in the study. Each patient underwent myofascial therapy in the injured limb only. The therapy was intended to release tension and improve proprioception. Results: The injured and healthy limbs showed significant asymmetry in body weight distribution. Before treatment, the patients bore less weight on the injured limb than on the healthy limb. After fascial therapy, eyes-closed tests showed an improved weight distribution symmetry between the two lower limbs. There were no significant differences in the values of the evaluated balance parameters between those measured at baseline and those measured after the therapy, measured after the rehabilitation session. Conclusions: A single fascial therapy session has a beneficial effect on corporal balance in runners with an injured lower limb.