Efeito de diferentes técnicas de liberação miofascial na mobilidade articular e desempenho de saltos

Abstract

Myofascial release is employed in clinical practice considering that a controlled pressure applied over superficial muscles may generate a mechanical stress able to modify adherences of the fascia to the muscles, decreasing tension and tissue stiffness, also due to changes in factors like blood flow and hydration. As a result, range of motion and force capacity could improve. In dynamic actions, like jump landing tasks, impact absorption could benefit of these effects on range of motion and force. However, these effects are not fully understood in the literature, can be difficult to differentiate of those resultant from dynamic stretching, and may also differently affect women and men. In this study we determine the effects of two techniques for myofascial release (instrumental and self-release) in comparison to stretching on active and passive range of motion (ROM) and biomechanics characteristics of vertical jump in 24 participants adults physically active (12 men, 12 women). Our main findings show that hip passive ROM increases after all the interventions and knee flexion passive ROM increases after stretching and self-release, with larger ROM found in women. Plantar flexion ROM is variable. Active ROM for hip flexion increases after instrumental intervention, and all interventions increases hip extension ROM. Active knee flexion ROM is larger in women after the self-release. For ankle active dorsiflexion ROM increases after all the interventions, depending on sex. Plantar flexion increases active ROM after all intervention, being larger in women. Overall mobility assessed by seat and reach test did not differ between the interventions. For jump landing, hip and knee angles at the initial contact with the ground did not change after the interventions, but the 8 instrumental intervention increases ankle dorsal flexion in women. At the moment of maximal knee flexion, women have the hip less flexed (lower trunk inclination), without difference between the interventions. Jump height and impact peak force are lower among women, without effects of interventions. In conclusion, we found that different techniques aiming at the myofascial release can increase active and passive joint ROM especially for the knee and ankle, with larger effects for women, but a few effects are observed in the dynamic of jump landing. In general, when effects of myofascial release are found, they have more implication for women than for men.