The Immediate Effect of Percussive Massage Therapy on Iliotibial Band Tightness in Field Athletes

Background and objective Iliotibial band tightness (ITBT) is a common knee injury that usually presents with pain and tenderness on palpation of the lateral aspect of the knee, superior to the joint line and inferior to the lateral femoral epicondyle. Athletes with ITBT typically complain of a sharp or burning pain roughly 2 cm superior to the lateral joint line. The pain may radiate proximally or distally, and in less severe cases, the pain may quickly subside upon cessation of activities. New approaches such as percussive massage therapy are used to relax the muscle tissue, reduce discomfort, and improve blood flow. It involves the use of handheld percussion devices to apply rapid vibrations and percussions to the skin and underlying soft tissue. This study aimed to examine the immediate effectiveness of percussive massage therapy on the responsiveness of pain and range of motion (ROM) in field athletes. Methodology Fifty athletes between the ages of 20 and 35 years were recruited for the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The immediate effectiveness of percussive massage therapy (Caresmith Massage Gun, Caresmith, Mumbai, India) was assessed based on the pre-treatment and post-treatment pain levels measured on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score and ROM of hip abduction and knee flexion. Results The results indicated a significant decrease in post-treatment pain, with the mean NPRS score decreasing from 5.18 to 2.60 immediately following the session. While the majority of participants experienced a decrease in NPRS scores, a few reported no change. The t-test for the right hip abduction ROM demonstrated a significant group effect (p<0.001). The t-test for the right knee flexion ROM also demonstrated a significant group effect (p<0.001). Conclusions The current study indicates that the majority of the field athletes showed a positive response to percussion massage therapy in terms of pain and ROM.