Examining the Effects of Three Soft Tissue Treatments on Functional Movement and Functional Performance Enhancement
Condition: Functional Performance
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Astym® treatment, The Stick®
      treatment and massage treatment on performance among healthy college athletes and to
      investigate any relationship between functional movement and functional performance.
      Participants will be recruited from Division II, National Association of Intercollegiate
      Athletics (NAIA) basketball and volleyball teams. The participants will be randomized into
      one of three groups: Astym treatment (AT), The Stick treatment (ST) or massage treatment
      (MT). The participant will have baseline measures of vertical jump (VJ), Y-Balance Lower
      Quarter Screen (YBLQ), and a rating of current perceived lower extremity function using a
      visual analog scale (PLEF-VAS). The participants will be treated using either the AT, ST, or
      MT following baseline measures. Immediately following the intervention, a second measurement
      of VJ, YBLQ, and PLEF-VAS will take place. The data will be analyzed using mixed ANOVA tests
      which will be conducted for each dependent variable. In addition, functional movement is
      thought to be related to functional performance. A Pearson Product Correlation analysis will
      be used to understand any relationship between YBLQ and VJ. It is hypothesized that those in
      the AT group will have different percent change in their YBLQ, VJ, and PLEF-VAS compared to
      those in ST and MT groups. It is hypothesized that a correlation between YBLQ and VJ will
      exist. As a result, clinicians could use AT among basketball and volleyball athletes without
      hindering acute performance. Any risks the participants could encounter are minimal.
      Participants may withdraw themselves and their data at any time. The intervention and testing
      are similar to what an athlete would be exposed to during their collegiate career. Any
      participant injured during this study will be referred to their university sports medicine
      staff, health center, or the Indiana Wesleyan University health center.
    

Detailed description: 
      All participants will complete baseline testing, intervention, and post intervention testing
      in a single day. The total time for a participant to complete the entire study is anticipated
      to be between 1.5 and 2 hours. Upon arrival to the Athletic Training Clinic, a participant's
      demographic information will be collected. This information will consist of the following:
      age, weight, height, and percent body fat using a standard seven site skinfold measurement.
      Other information will be recorded, such as sport, position, gender, years of college sport
      experience, and year in school. The research team will ensure that the participant is dressed
      appropriately in athletic shorts and T-shirt. Spandex® or compression type garments will not
      be allowed to be worn at any time during the study.

      Once the demographic information is collected, a full body warm up will be initiated.
      Participants will be instructed to warm up on a bike for 5 minutes at an intensity of 4 to 6
      as represented on the OMNI scale of perceived exertion. This warm up is based on the
      guidelines set forth by the American College of Sports Medicine. Following the warm up, each
      participant's baseline measurements will be taken in this order: Vertical Jump (VJ),
      Y-Balance Lower Quarter (YBLQ), and rating of Perceived Lower Extremity Function-Visual
      Analog Scale (PLEF-VAS).

      Following baseline data collection, participants will be randomly assigned to an
      intervention. One of the three treatments previously described will take place in the
      Athletic Training Clinic. An individual not associated with the research committee or
      research team will conduct the randomization. Immediately following the intervention,
      participants will proceed to the performance evaluation testing area for post treatment
      testing. The participant may elect to bring one chaperon of their choosing to the treatment
      area. Warm up and performance testing order will remain consistent for each participant and
      will follow the order as conducted during baseline measure.

      Trained undergraduate research assistants, blinded from the treatment allocation will collect
      the testing data. The testing data will include: the VJ, YBLQ, and the PLEF-VAS. The
      clinicians (doctoral candidate and assisting clinician) will provide Astym treatment (AT),
      The Stick treatment (ST), or massage treatment (MT) and will not be present for the VJ, YBLQ,
      and the PLEF-VAS nor will the clinicians providing the intervention be present in the testing
      area during baseline test collection.

      Testing Procedures Participants will perform the VJ and YBLQ Screen following a 5-minute-warm
      up as previously described. The highest jump of three attempts will be recorded for the
      counter movement VJ. The longest reach of three attempts in the anterior, posteriolateral and
      posteromedial directions will be recorded following the established YBLQ protocol.

      Vertical Jump A Belt Mat (University of Toronto; Toronto, Canada) vertical jump measuring
      device will be utilized for this study. The participant is positioned on a mat with a belt
      placed around the waist. The belt has a tape measure running form the belt to the mat. The
      participant is asked to stand erect to establish 'zero'. The participant then jumps
      vertically while the belt is around the waist pulling out the remaining tape measure. The
      vertical jump height is recorded as the displacement of the tape measure. The participant
      will propel vertically as high as possible. A preparatory stutter step will not be used;
      however, a counter movement may be used. A countermovement is where the participant quickly
      flexes the knees and hips while moving the thorax forward and downward while swinging the
      arms back. Three jump attempts will be given to each participant where a measurement will
      take place after each attempt. Measurements will be recorded to the nearest half inch and
      then converted to centimeters. The highest measurement will be used for analysis.

      Y Balance Lower Quarter Screen Testing procedures for the YBLQ (Y Balance Test Kit,
      Move2Perform; Evansville, IN) will follow the protocol previously established by researchers
      The participant will have viewed a two minute instructional video prior to practicing six
      reaches in each of the three directions bilaterally: anterior, posteriormedial and
      posteriorlateral. Following the practice reaches, the participant will stand on the Y Balance
      center footplate with the right foot behind the start line. With the free foot, the
      participant will reach in the anterior direction pushing the indicator box as far as
      possible. Three successful measurements in as many as six attempts in the reach direction
      will be recorded with the best, successful reach being used for analysis. The participant
      will then switch stance legs. The indicator box will be reset and the participant will reach
      with the right foot in the anterior direction. This cycle will continue for the posteromedial
      and posterolateral directions. Successful reaches are those where the participant maintained
      contact with stance leg on the center footplate and behind the start line throughout the
      reach attempt. Successful reaches also will include maintaining contact with the indicator
      box during the reach attempt, not using the indicator box for support, and returning to start
      position under control. The participant will rest only as long as it takes the recorder to
      reset the indicator box and log the reach distance.

      Rating of Perceived Lower Extremity Function The participant will be asked to rate current
      perceived lower extremity function on a 100mm line anywhere between 'my function is at its
      worst' and 'my function is at its best.' The participant will rate by placing a vertical line
      that intersects the 100mm horizontal line perpendicularly. A standard metric ruler will be
      used to measure from the farthest left to the intersecting line. This distance will be
      recorded.
    

Intervention name(s): Astym; Stick; Massage
Intervention type(s): Device; Device; Device
Intervention description(s): therapeutic massage instrument; massage instrument; massage instruments
Other intervention name(s): The Stick
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Other