Roller massage decreases spinal excitability to the soleus

Area of Science:

• Neuromuscular Physiology
• Rehabilitation Science
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Roller massage (RM) interventions are known to acutely increase range of motion (ROM) and pain pressure threshold (PPT).
• The underlying mechanisms for these benefits, whether neural or muscular, remain unclear.
• Investigating the impact of RM on spinal excitability is crucial for understanding its physiological effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of roller massage (RM) on spinal excitability.
• To measure changes in the Hoffmann (H-) reflex following RM application.
• To determine if RM-induced changes in spinal excitability are intensity-dependent.

Main Methods:

• A randomized within-subjects design was employed.
• Three 30-second bouts of RM were applied to the plantar flexors at high, moderate, and sham intensities.
• Normalized M-wave and H-reflex amplitudes were measured before, during, and after RM intervention.

Main Results:

• Roller massage significantly decreased soleus H-reflex amplitudes across all intensities (high: 58%, moderate: 43%, sham: 19%).
• High-intensity RM produced significantly greater decreases in H-reflex amplitudes compared to moderate and sham conditions.
• These modulatory effects on spinal excitability were transient, returning to baseline immediately post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first evidence of roller massage-induced modulation of spinal excitability.
• The intensity-dependent response suggests that pressure or pain perception during RM plays a role in neural inhibition.
• RM-induced neural modulation of spinal excitability may explain previously observed increases in ROM and PPT.