KAYA, Mitsuharu; Shibutani, Tomonari; Takemura, Masanori; Kurita, Koji; Banerjee, Arijit; Tsujita, Junzo Author Information Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 52(7S):p 1102, July 2020. | DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0000687660.00918.a9
BACKGROUND: Last year, we reported that transcutaneous vacuum treatment improved gliding function, flexibility of muscle and fascia in vastus lateralis. However, the effect of transcutaneous vacuum treatment on joint mobility has not been investigated to date.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcutaneous vacuum treatment on posterior thigh with straight leg raising angle, compared with passive static stretching of hamstrings.
METHODS: Seven volunteers who had not undergone any prior orthopedic treatment for the lower legs participated in this study. The left and right legs were used for the experiment. Transcutaneous vacuum treatment (CVT) (vacuum and rolling [approximately 0.5Hz]) was applied to posterior thigh (ischial tuberosity to upper area of popliteal region) for 30 seconds 3 times with 15 second intervals between sets (n=7). Passive static stretching of hamstrings (PSS) was applied by pushing the heel using a hand held goniometer to the final angle of movement for 30 seconds 3 times with 15 second intervals between sets at supine position with knee extended (n=7). We measured straight leg raising (SLR) angle with active and passive hip flexion before and immediately after CVT or PSS.
RESULTS: After PSS, the SLR angle statistically increased at active (89.9 ± 9.2 to 97.1 ± 12.4 degree) and passive (92.2 ± 11.5 to 99.0 ± 13.8 degree) hip flexion. After CVT, there was no change in SLR angle at active hip flexion (92.0 ± 9.8 to 92.9 ± 8.3 degree). However, it statistically increased at passive hip flexion (92.0 ± 11.5 to 99.1 ± 13.8 degree). There were no differences of SLR angle for passive hip flexion between PSS and CVT after treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study, there was significant increase of SLR angle in passive hip flexion after CVT, and these changes were almost equivalent to the angle after PSS. However, despite the increase after PSS, the angle in active hip flexion after CVT did not change. These results suggest that the mechanism of change in active range of motion after transcutaneous vacuum treatment may be different from that of static stretching.
