The Effectiveness of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization in Athletes, Healthy Participants and Individuals with Upper/Lower Extremity and Spinal Conditions. A Systematic Review

Publication date: Available online 22 February 2019

Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Author(s): Goris Nazari, Pavlos Bobos, Joy C. MacDermid, Trevor Birmingham

Abstract

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM) to other treatment/control/placebo in athletes/healthy participants and individuals with upper/lower/spinal conditions.

Data sources

The MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PEDro electronic databases were searched from January 1998 to March 2018.

Study selection

Randomized controlled trials of healthy participants/athletes and people with upper, lower or spinal conditions, who revived IASTM vs. other active treatment, placebo/sham, control (no treatment), to improve outcome (function, pain and range of motion).

Data extraction

Two independent review authors extracted data, assessed the trials for risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool in included studies, and performed the rating of quality of individual trials per outcome across trials was also performed using GRADE guidelines.

Data synthesis

Nine trials with 43 reported outcomes (function, pain, range of motion and grip strength), compared the addition of IASTM over other treatments versus other treatments. Six trials with 36 outcomes reported no clinically important differences in outcomes between the two groups. Two trials with two outcomes displayed clinically important differences favouring the other treatment (without IASTM) group. Six trials with 15 reported outcomes (pressure sensitivity, pain, range of motion and muscle performance), compared IASTM versus control (no treatment). Three trials with 5 outcomes reported no clinically important differences in outcomes between the two groups. Furthermore, in one trial with 5 outcomes, IASTM demonstrated small effects (SMDs range 0.03 – 0.24) in terms of improvement muscle performance in physically active individuals when compared to a no treatment group.

Conclusion

The current evidence does not support the use of IASTM to improve pain, function or range of motion in healthy individuals or those with varied pathologies.

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