Comparative effect of Rolfing Soft Tissue Manipulation and Bowen Technique on calf tightness among housewives.
Housework involves ongoing physical effort and is predominantly carried out by women. As a result, musculoskeletal (MSK) problems in housewives are a significant concern. Tightness in the calf muscles can limit ankle dorsiflexion, contributing to such issues. Two potential manual therapy interventions, Rolfing Soft Tissue Manipulation (RSTM) and the Bowen Technique (BT) may help alleviate this condition.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
54
The initial intervention involved applying a hot pack to the calf muscles (10-minute duration), then with the participant in the prone position and the therapist by their side, a 120-second hold of the Rolfing technique of MFR was applied for the calf muscle
The Bowen Technique involves the application of gentle rolling motions on specific target muscles or connective tissues using the fingers and thumbs, typically ranging from fifteen to forty-five minutes per session,
Arif Memorial Teaching Hospital
Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Goniometer
Goniometer is easily accessible and is an important tool for measuring range of motion of different joints. To measure DFROM using a goniometer, participants were instructed to lay supine and with the knee straight and actively dorsiflex their ankles to end of range by bringing their toes up towards their head. For angle measurement, the axis center of the goniometer was placed on the most prominent point of the lateral malleolus, with the fixed arm of the goniometer along with the leg, and the movable arm parallel with the sole of the foot
Time frame: Baseline and 4th week
WBLT (knee to wall test)
A tape measure was used. 1. stand facing a wall with about 10cm between participant's big toe and wall. 2. move one foot backward so it is about a foot behind the leg investigator is testing.(one leg at a time) 3. now bend front knee until the kneecap touches the wall, keeping the heel on ground. 4. If participant's knee cannot reach the wall without heel coming off ground, inch participant's foot closer to the wall and try again. 5. If participant's knee was able to touch the wall too easily with the 10cm set up without heel coming off the ground, move foot further away from wall and try again. 6. repeat step 4 or 5 until participant can just touch kneecap to the wall while heel stays on ground. 7. Measure and record the distance between wall and big toe. Do repeat the test on the other leg. Smaller than 9-10cm is considered a restricted, shortened calf muscle.
Time frame: Baseline and 4th week
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