JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES最新文献

{"title":"Electromyographic activation patterns in CrossFit® athletes with unilateral subacromial shoulder pain: A cluster analysis approach","authors":"Jaime Almazán-Polo ,&nbsp;César Calvo-Lobo ,&nbsp;Fabien Guérineau ,&nbsp;Ángel González-de-la-Flor","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Subacromial shoulder pain (SASP) is a common condition affecting CrossFit® athletes during repetitive overhead movements. This study aimed to characterize within-subject muscle activation patterns of key scapular and shoulder muscles during overhead pressing in athletes with unilateral SASP, and to explore whether distinct activation strategies are influenced by the presence of symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 20 male CrossFit® athletes (40 shoulders: 20 symptomatic and 20 asymptoamtic) were analyzed. Surface electromyography (sEMG) activity was recorded during concentric, isometric, and eccentric phases of a standardized shoulder press movement task using an 8-kg kettlebell. A repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to assess interaction effects. Additionally, hierarchical and k-means clustering were used to classify neuromuscular activation patterns.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The ANOVA revealed significant interaction effects for lower trapezius (F = 36.71, p &lt; 0.001, η²p = 0.491) and serratus anterior (F = 11.61, p &lt; 0.001, η²p = 0.234), indicating differential activation across conditions and phases. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that symptomatic shoulders exhibited significantly lower activation in the isometric phase of the anterior serratus (mean difference = −10.68, p = 0.005) and greater activation in the concentric phase of the lower trapezius (mean difference = 13.94, p &lt; 0.001). Cluster analysis identified two distinct activation profiles. However, no significant association between cluster membership and symptomatic condition (χ² = 0.114, p = 0.736).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>CrossFit® athletes exhibit two distinct neuromuscular activation patterns, but these clusters were not conditioned by the presence of unilateral SASP. However, symptomatic shoulders showed specific neuromuscular alterations, particularly in the lower trapezius and serratus anterior during the concentric and isometric phases respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 477-482"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improvement of throwing patterns in subjects with forward head and rounded shoulder after a corrective exercise intervention. A retrospective study","authors":"Ainollah Sakinepoor ,&nbsp;Hans Degens ,&nbsp;Ali Ghobadi ,&nbsp;Maryam Mazidi","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><div>The forward head and rounded shoulder posture (FHRSP) in handball players can lead to biomechanical impairments and altered muscle activity, which may result in reduced ball speed and throwing performance. This study evaluated whether corrective exercises improve throwing patterns in male handball players with FHRSP. Sixty participants with FHRSP were divided into an exercise-intervention group (EG, n = 30) and a control group (CG, n = 30). The EG underwent an 8-week corrective exercise program targeting FHRSP-related muscles, while the CG received no intervention. Kinematic and electromyographic (EMG) data were recorded during throwing tasks before and after the intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>showed significant improvements in the EG compared to the CG. Ball throwing speed increased (P &lt; 0.03, effect size: 0.05), alongside reduced muscle activation and enhanced shoulder kinematics (P &lt; 0.05). Additionally, FHRSP parameters improved, with reduced forward head posture (P &lt; 0.03, effect size: 0.87) and rounded shoulders (P &lt; 0.05, effect size: 0.68). No significant changes were observed in the CG.</div><div>The study concludes that an 8-week corrective exercise effectively enhances throwing performance, optimizes shoulder movement, and corrects FHRSP in male handball players. These findings highlight the benefits of targeted exercises for athletes with postural deficits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 406-417"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The correlation between pain and flexor and extensor muscles endurance and size with craniovertebral angle changes during prolong sitting task","authors":"Fatemeh Binaei ,&nbsp;Amir Hossein Kahlaee ,&nbsp;Cyrus Taghizadeh Delkhoush ,&nbsp;Nahid Rahmani ,&nbsp;Mohammad Ali Mohseni Bandpei ,&nbsp;Mohammad Saatchi","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Forward head posture is one of the most common postural disorders affecting the head and neck region, and it is typically assessed based on the craniovertebral angle. Various factors may be associated with the magnitude of this angle. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between pain and flexor and extensor muscles endurance and size with craniovertebral angle changes during prolong sitting task.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study included 110 participants. The variables of pain, muscles endurance, muscles size, and the magnitude of the craniovertebral angle were measured using the visual analog scale, muscle endurance tests, ultrasonography, and Image J software, respectively. Additionally, a 30-min seated observation of a video content was employed as the postural task.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results demonstrated a significant correlation between craniovertebral angle changes with the intensity of neck pain (p = 0.001) as well as the size of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (p = 0.016).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Participants who exhibited increased forward head posture following the postural task also demonstrated greater neck pain intensity and increased thickness of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 400-405"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of home-based exercise and clinic-based physiotherapy on mobility status of patients undergoing total knee replacement: A randomized clinical trial","authors":"Mohammadamin Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Esmaeil Teymoori ,&nbsp;Armin Fereidouni ,&nbsp;Seyed Alireza Hosseini ,&nbsp;Zahra Maleki ,&nbsp;Mohammadreza Zarei ,&nbsp;Amirali Alizadeh ,&nbsp;Samira Mahmoudi","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Total knee replacement (TKR) is a common intervention for knee osteoarthritis; however, the most effective post-surgical rehabilitation strategy remains uncertain. This study aimed to compare the effects of home-based exercise versus clinic-based physiotherapy on functional mobility in patients following TKR.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 80 TKR patients. Participants were randomly assigned to either a home-based exercise group (n = 40) or a clinic-based physiotherapy group (n = 40). Both groups followed structured, four-week rehabilitation protocols. Functional mobility was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements in functional mobility after the intervention (p &lt; 0.001). However, no significant difference was observed between the two rehabilitation approaches (p = 0.078).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings suggest that home-based rehabilitation is as effective as clinic-based physiotherapy for enhancing mobility after TKR. The structure of the rehabilitation program and patient adherence may play a more critical role than the setting in determining outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>IRCT20230928059543N3, July 25, 2024.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 431-437"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pilates in digital age: improving balance, core stability, and functional fitness in older adults","authors":"S. Geremia ,&nbsp;J. Sampaio ,&nbsp;G. Boppre ,&nbsp;J. Carvalho ,&nbsp;A. Pizarro","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 20-week online Pilates program on balance, functional fitness, trunk strength, and stability in older adults.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twenty-four participants (mean age: 76.3 ± 5.7 years) were allocated to a Pilates (PG; n = 14) or control group (CG; n = 10). The 20-week intervention occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, with two 60-min online Pilates sessions/week. Single-leg stance and 8-foot timed-up-and-go were assessed for static and dynamic balance, respectively. Aerobic fitness was estimated using 6-min walk test. One-minute sit-up and core muscle strength and stability tests were used in PG to evaluate trunk strength and stability changes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mixed-model analysis revealed a significant treatment effect in the PG for the 6-min walk (Δ = 80.26 m; p = 0.017) and single-leg stance (Δ = 18.76 s; p = 0.02), while non-significant treatment effects were found for BMI and 8-foot TUG. A substantial impact of the intervention with large effect sizes on the sit-up test (Δ = 9.33 reps; p = 0.003; d = 1.09), and core strength and stability (Δ = 14.5 s; p = 0.014; d = 0.84) were found in the PG.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A 20-week online Pilates program improved balance, and cardiorespiratory endurance, core strength, and stability in older adults, supporting is effectiveness when in-person exercise is not possible, such as during lockdowns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 529-535"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145117518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Massage and exercise increase body awareness in healthy adults: A single blinded randomized controlled trial","authors":"Ursula Danner ,&nbsp;Alexander Avian ,&nbsp;Christian Mittermaier","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.08.036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.08.036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Investigation of the effect of a single session of manual massage or exercise on body awareness.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A randomized controlled study including 96 volunteers (female 62.5 %; median age: 35, IQR: 28–52 years) assigned to a single intervention of massage (full-body massage), exercise (moderate video-based body workout) or a lecture on medicinal herbs (control group). Primary outcomes were the changes of body awareness recorded with the Awareness Body Chart test. Secondary outcomes were changes in scores of a German questionnaire on self-perception of the body and changes in mood scored with a German questionnaire on mood. Additional questionnaires before the interventions: Demographic data, Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire, Short Form Health Survey and Brief Symptom Inventory.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The Awareness Body Chart total score increased in both intervention groups but not in the control group with significant differences in the change between control group and both other groups (massage vs. control: +0.47, 95 % CI 0.30 to 0.64; exercise vs. control: +0.31, 95 % CI 0.15 to 0.45; massage vs. exercise: +0.19, 95 % CI -0.02 to 0.34). In comparison to the control group an increase of self-perception of the body was found in exercise but not in massage. Mood significantly improved in both intervention groups compared to the control group.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In this study single session interventions of massage or exercise presented an immediate increase of body awareness and furthermore improvement of mood. The study may serve as a basis for additional research on body awareness, especially in psychiatric disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 508-515"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145117516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamic ultrasound assessment of tissue gliding dysfunction in marathon-induced muscle soreness: A pilot study","authors":"Hinako Katayama-Miyazaki ,&nbsp;Akihisa Watanabe ,&nbsp;Takahiro Machida","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Delayed onset muscle soreness commonly occurs after exercise. Although tissue gliding dysfunction has been implicated in muscle soreness, its temporal changes remain undocumented in real-world endurance exercise settings. This study investigated temporal changes in both qualitative and quantitative aspects of tissue gliding before and after marathon running by using dynamic ultrasonography.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Two recreational marathon runners underwent ultrasonographic assessments of tissue gliding in the gastrocnemius muscle at baseline (pre-race) and daily for 5 consecutive days post-race (D1–D5). Pain on palpation was evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS; 0–10). A reference dataset from healthy volunteers was used to contextualize pre-race values.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Both participants showed peak muscle soreness (NRS 5–6) on D1 and D2, accompanied by a reduction in tissue gliding distance (minimum 2.83 mm, baseline 6–7 mm). From D3 onward, pain decreased (NRS ≤1), and tissue gliding distance gradually returned to pre-race levels. Pre-race values were within the range observed in healthy volunteers, whereas D1 and D2 values fell below this range. Additionally, their baseline gliding patterns changed exclusively during peak soreness before returning to their original states.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The findings show that delayed onset muscle soreness leads to significant reductions in tissue gliding. These results highlight the importance of understanding fascial mechanics in the context of delayed onset muscle soreness and suggest that gliding dysfunction could serve as a key marker of muscle soreness and recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 359-364"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A reduced response to acute psychosocial stress in the chronic musculoskeletal pain patients","authors":"Seyed Mehdi Mohsenipour ,&nbsp;Azadeh Nasiri ,&nbsp;Gila Pirzad-Jahromi ,&nbsp;Boshra Hatef","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose of the research</h3><div>Chronic musculoskeletal pain may be influenced by a number of factors, including contextual and psychological factors, the presence of comorbidities, and coping strategies. The relationship between chronic pain and psychosocial disorders is being supported by increasing evidence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological responses to acute psychosocial stress caused by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in musculoskeletal pain patients and healthy individuals.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twenty-one chronic musculoskeletal pain patients and 22 healthy individuals participated in the study. Physiological measurements, including salivary cortisol, both linear and non-linear features of heart rate variability, and galvanic skin response, were recorded before, during, and after the TSST, as well as 20 min after recovery.</div></div><div><h3>Major findings</h3><div>The two-way mixed-model ANCOVA (with age considered as a covariate) showed that the response to acute stress differed between the two groups. Salivary cortisol levels increased in the healthy group after stress (from pre-stress = 13.38 ± 4.6 to post-stress = 15.07 ± 3.7) (p &lt; 0.001) but tended to decrease in the musculoskeletal pain patients' group (from pre-stress = 15.02 ± 3.9 to post-stress = 13.77 ± 3.7). Among the parameters of heart rate variability, the mean RR interval (R-wave peak to R-wave peak in electrocardiograms) was significantly reduced during stress and returned to baseline after recovery, while the magnitude of change was smaller in the musculoskeletal pain patients' group (P &lt; 0.05). The Wilcoxon test showed that the galvanic skin response significantly increased in both groups (p &lt; 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The results suggest that chronic musculoskeletal pain decreases the body's stress system response to acute stress. These insights have implications for personalized treatment approaches by considering the status of stress system response and stress management strategies for chronic musculoskeletal pain patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 393-399"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of a six-month workplace therapeutic micro-exercise program on musculoskeletal pain: Initial anamnestic risk screening via TACOS and outcome evaluation using the Nordic Questionnaire","authors":"Mojtaba Ebrahimi varkiani ,&nbsp;Amirhossein Vaghari gargari ,&nbsp;Siavash Torkashvand","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effectiveness of a six-month therapeutic micro-exercise program in reducing work-related musculoskeletal discomfort among sedentary employees. Prior to the intervention, an anamnestic risk assessment was conducted using TACOS software to determine the prevalence and anatomical distribution of musculoskeletal disorders—including both positive-threshold and minor conditions—across the cervical region, dorsal (thoracic) spine, lumbopelvic area, and upper and lower limbs.</div><div>TACOS results showed a higher prevalence of upper limb disorders among female participants, particularly involving the shoulder and wrist. In contrast, male participants exhibited greater spinal complaints, especially in the lumbar and dorsal regions. The occurrence of lower limb discomfort was relatively similar across genders.</div><div>Musculoskeletal pain intensity was assessed before and after the intervention using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire in combination with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to quantify symptom severity.</div><div>The intervention protocol involved brief, targeted neuromuscular activation and joint mobility exercises, performed daily in the workplace setting. These exercises aimed to enhance postural alignment, flexibility, and local muscular endurance.</div><div>Post-intervention results revealed statistically significant reductions in region-specific musculoskeletal discomfort (p &lt; 0.05), particularly in the cervical region, lumbopelvic area, and shoulder girdle.</div><div>In conclusion, this six-month workplace-integrated micro-exercise program effectively reduced musculoskeletal symptoms in sedentary employees. The TACOS-based baseline screening provided valuable insights into anatomical risk patterns, allowing more precise and individualized exercise targeting. These findings support structured, low-volume, task-integrated physical activity as a feasible and cost-effective strategy for mitigating and managing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 365-378"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the immediate effect of kinesiology tape on the recruitment pattern of the H reflex of the lateral gastrocnemius muscle and performance in athletes suffering from gastrocnemius muscle trigger point","authors":"Fatemeh Ehsani,&nbsp;Rasool Bagheri,&nbsp;Mina gholami,&nbsp;Leila simorgh","doi":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.08.035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.08.035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of real and sham kinesiology tape on the H-reflex recruitment pattern of the gastrocnemius muscle and its performance in athletes with trigger points of this muscle.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>Thirty-eight athletes (13 women and 25 men) with trigger points in the gastrocnemius muscle were allocated to either the kinesiology tape group or the sham tape group. Standard adhesive elastic kinesiology tape was used for inhibitory application in the kinesiology tape group. The kinesiology tape group received real elastic kinesiology taping on the gastrocnemius muscle, while the sham tape group received a placebo application. In the sham group, the kinesiology tape was applied horizontally above the navel without any tension.</div><div>After a 3-day washout period, participants switched groups (sham to real, and vice versa). Outcome measures included the H-reflex recruitment curve of the lateral gastrocnemius muscle and functional performance tests, recorded by a blinded evaluator. The primary H-reflex parameters included: threshold, ascending slope of the recruitment curve, stimulation intensity required to record maximum H, descending slope of the curve, final intensity of the curve, Hmax/Mmax ratio. Functional tests included a 20-m sprint and a vertical jump.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>H-reflex parameters (maximum H current intensity and descending slope) were inhibited following real taping. In the sham group, H-reflex parameters (maximum H current intensity, final H, and descending slope) were also inhibited compared to the real group. The jump height in the sham group was lower than in the real group, and jump height in both groups decreased after the intervention compared to before.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Kinesiology taping led to inhibition of motor neuron excitability in the gastrocnemius muscle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51431,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPIES","volume":"45 ","pages":"Pages 299-303"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145026688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}