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Paraffin therapy induces a decrease in the passive stiffness of gastrocnemius muscle belly and Achilles tendon: A
Ya Peng Li1, Ya Nan Feng1, Chun Long Liu2
1Rehabilitation Therapy Center, Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province, Luoyang.
Background:
The purposes of this study were to examine the feasibility of using the MyotonPRO digital palpation device in measuring the passive stiffness of gastrocnemius muscle belly and Achilles tendon; to determine between-days test-retest reliability of MyotonPRO; and to evaluate the acute effect of paraffin therapy on stiffness measurements in healthy participants.
Methods:
It is a randomized controlled trial. Twenty healthy participants (male, n = 10; female, n = 10; total, n = 20) were recruited to evaluate the passive stiffness of gastrocnemius muscle belly and Achilles tendon. Dominant and nondominant legs were randomly divided into an experimental side (20 cases) and a control side (20 cases). The experimental side received 20 minutes of paraffin therapy.
Results:
The stiffness of muscle and tendon in the experimental side decreased significantly after paraffin therapy (P < .01), whereas no significant differences in stiffness measurements were found in the control side (P > .05). The passive stiffness of muscle and tendon was positively correlated with the ankle from 30° plantar flexion to10° dorsiflexion for dominant legs. Between-days test-retest reliability in stiffness measurements was high or very high (ICCs were above 0.737).
Conclusion:
Paraffin therapy induces a decrease in the passive stiffness of gastrocnemius muscle belly and Achilles tendon. Furthermore, the MyotonPRO can reliably determine stiffness measurements.
