Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025
02:15
Predictive Measurement for Windlass Change in Length and Selected Treatment Outcomes in Chronic Plantar Fasciitis
Published on: March 1, 2024
793
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.
Medicine
|March 21, 2020
Summary
Paraffin therapy effectively reduces gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon stiffness. The MyotonPRO device reliably measures these changes, showing high test-retest reliability in healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Musculoskeletal Physiology
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Assessing passive stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon is crucial for understanding musculoskeletal health.
- The MyotonPRO device offers a potential non-invasive method for quantifying muscle and tendon stiffness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and reliability of the MyotonPRO for measuring passive stiffness in the gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon.
- To investigate the acute effects of paraffin therapy on these stiffness measurements in healthy participants.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 20 healthy participants.
- Participants' dominant and nondominant legs were assigned to either an experimental (paraffin therapy) or control group.
- Passive stiffness was measured using the MyotonPRO device before and after a 20-minute paraffin therapy session for the experimental group.
Main Results:
- Significant reduction in gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon stiffness was observed in the paraffin therapy group (P < .01).
- No significant changes in stiffness were found in the control group (P > .05).
- High to very high between-days test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.737) was demonstrated for the MyotonPRO stiffness measurements.
Conclusions:
- Paraffin therapy is effective in decreasing the passive stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles tendon.
- The MyotonPRO device provides reliable measurements for assessing muscle and tendon stiffness.
