1. Introduction
low back pain, sleep disorders, thoracolumbar, Myofascial, depression, Low back pain, pain, disorders of the musculoskeletal system, myofascial disorders, LBP
Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most frequently observed disorders of the musculoskeletal system in the modern population. It is suggested that myofascial disorders in the highly innervated thoracolumbar fascia (TLF), reported in patients with LBP, may be an underlying cause of the ailment. Research also confirms that patients with LBP demonstrate poorer postural stability compared with individuals without the condition. Myofascial release techniques (MFR) are additional therapeutic options that complement existing therapies and help provide a more holistic treatment for chronic LBP (CLBP). Objective: Evaluation of changes in postural stability following one MFR intervention applied to CLBP subjects immediately after manual therapy and after a month. It was hypothesized that postural stability is going to aggravate immediately after the MFR intervention and improve one month after treatment compared with the baseline results before the treatment. Methods: 113 patients with CLBP participated in a randomized-controlled trial. The experimental group (n = 59) received one MFR intervention, whereas the control group (n = 54) did not receive any therapeutic intervention. Posturography was performed to determine experimental group’s immediate response to the therapy and to evaluate the experimental and control groups’ responses to the therapy one month after the intervention. Results: Only 2 out of 12 comparisons of stabilometric parameters demonstrated reliable effects that are in line with our research hypotheses. Even though both comparisons were observed for therapy outcomes within the experimental group, no reliable differences between the groups were found. Conclusions: A single MFR treatment in the TLF did not affect postural stability in CLBP patients in the experimental group. Further studies are needed to extend the findings by performing a series of holistic MFR treatments applied to a larger area of the body surface that would induce more general tissue changes and thus having a greater impact on postural stability. Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most frequently observed disorders of the musculoskeletal system in the modern population. Low back pain is considered chronic (CLBP) when lasting over 3 months or persistent even after healing of damaged tissues. CLBP occurrence increases with age, reaching its peak in the 5th and 6th decades of life. People suffering from CLBP may experience pain even in response to a small stimulus, and the long-term discomfort may increase the level of depression and odds of sleep disorders, thus significantly deteriorating the quality of life [Numerous authors agree that a modest percentage of pain ailments are caused by specific serious causes, whereas 90% of cases are non-specific low back pain without an established cause [Individuals suffering from LBP are prone to problems with postural stability. Most authors confirm that average values of center of pressure (COP) velocity obtained in tests conducted in a free-standing position are significantly higher in adults with CLBP compared with healthy individuals [Myofascial release techniques (MFR) are additional therapeutic options that, according to current recommendations, may complement manual joint mobilization techniques, physical exercises and pain neuroscience education and help provide a more holistic treatment for CLBP [The reliability of the immediate impact of MFR on patients with LBP was confirmed several times by authors who used objective research tools. The findings in those studies confirm that even a single, isolated MFR intervention significantly improves the sliding movements between TLF layers [To our knowledge, an analysis of the immediate postural stability changes following one isolated MFR session has not been presented. The aim of this study was to evaluate if a single session of MFR performed in a group of CLBP patients led to any changes in the postural stability immediately after the session, as well as one month after the intervention. 