title: Deep soft-tissue massage applied to healthy calf muscle has no effect on passive mechanical properties: a randomized, single-blind, cross-over study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Massage is often applied with the intention of improving flexibility or reducing stiffness in musculotendinous tissue. There is, however, a lack of supporting evidence that such mechanical effects occur. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of massage on the passive mechanical properties of the calf muscle complex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty nine healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 45 years of age had their calf muscle compliance and ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) measured using an instrumented footplate before, immediately and 30 minutes after a ten minute application of deep massage or superficial heating to the calf muscle complex. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine differences between testing sessions and the types of intervention. Reliability testing for the measurement method was conducted using analysis of variance both within and between testing sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant change in calf muscle stiffness or ankle dorsiflexion range of motion with or without the application of calf massage. Inter- and intra-session reliability were very high, ICC > 0.88 (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although individuals' perception of a change in tissue characteristics following massage has been reported, there was no evidence that soft tissue massage led to a change in the passive mechanical properties of the calf muscle complex. The findings of this study suggest that the use of massage to increase tissue flexibility prior to activity is not justified.
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia ; Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW 2170 Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Amitabh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW 2170 Australia.
authors.forename: Jesica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arundell
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crosbie
keywords: Ankle; Calf muscle; Massage; Range of motion; Tissue mechanics