Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1476342

Effects of lower back foam rolling on the pressure pain threshold and the range of motion of the lumbar spine in healthy individuals

Provisionally accepted
Julia Fijavž Julia Fijavž 1Maja Frangež Maja Frangež 2Renata Vauhnik Renata Vauhnik 1*
  • 1 University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 2 University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The aim of this study was to determine the short-and long-term effects of foam rolling (FR) on the pressure pain threshold and the range of motion of the lumbar spine in healthy subjects. 43 healthy subjects without back problems were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG). The subjects in the EG underwent a 4-week FR program (12 sessions). The subjects in the CG received no intervention. Range of motion was measured using the modified-modified Schober test for flexion and fingertip-to-floor distance for lateral flexion. The pressure pain threshold was measured with a hand-held pressure algometer. The measurements were taken before and after the first FR, after the 4-week program and at the 1-, 3-and 6-month follow-up. The significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05 and the desired power of the test was 92%.We found an improvement in flexion (p = 0.03) and lateral flexion (p < 0.001) in the EG after the first FR and recorded a significant improvement in all measured variables (flexion, lateral flexion and algometry: p < 0.001) at the end of the entire 4-week program. The effects were noticeable up to 6 months after the end of the program (p ≤ 0.03) and were statistically significantly better than in the CG (p ≤ 0.04). The calculated Cohen's d value was 1.15 for flexion, 1.06 for lateral flexion and 0.98 for algometry, which represents a large effect size. FR improves the pressure pain threshold and mobility of the lumbar spine in healthy subjects. The effects are noticeable at least 6 months after the end of an FR program.

    Keywords: Fascia, Soft-tissue release, Superficial Back Line, Foam rolling, Pain, Flexibility, lumbar spine

    Received: 05 Aug 2024; Accepted: 06 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Fijavž, Frangež and Vauhnik. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Renata Vauhnik, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.