The effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization compared to other interventions on pain and function: a systematic review

Background: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is an emerging intervention in physical therapy. With the increasing prevalence of pain and disability associated with musculoskeletal impairments, it is essential to identify the most effective treatment strategies.

Objective: To systematically examine evidence on the effectiveness of IASTM, compared to other interventions on patients with pain and disability resulting from musculoskeletal impairments.

Methods: Numerous databases were searched using the terms Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue, Pain, Function, Graston, and soft tissue mobilization (STM). Inclusion criteria included: randomized clinical trials on patients with musculoskeletal impairments, STM had to be a treatment intervention, performed on human subjects, and had to capture a measure of pain or function. Articles were excluded if they were not published in English or if the subjects were of the pediatric or geriatric populations. Included articles were appraised using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale.

Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. All seven articles scored a minimum 4/10 on the PEDro scale. The studies involved treatment of numerous anatomical locations and the majority of the studies demonstrated significant improvements in pain and/or range of motion when compared to control or other conservative treatment groups.

Conclusions: These outcomes support the idea that IASTM may have an impact on physiological changes by providing an increase in blood flow, reduction in tissue viscosity, myofascial release, interruption of pain receptors, and improvement of flexibility of underlying tissue. It is suggested that IASTM is an effective treatment intervention for reducing pain and improving function in less than a three-month period.