Myofascial release (MFR) is a technique based on the application of compression and stretches to the myofascial complex. MFR has been of potential interest in sports to the injury prevention and the rehabilitation of iliopsoas function; a muscle often injured in futsal athletes. Even though MFR seems to benefit functional performance, such as increased range of motion, reduced myofascial pain and improved postural balance, its effects applied to iliopsoas muscle on neuromuscular responses is still an open question we addressed here.

To investigate the immediate effect of iliopsoas MFR on postural balance during standing in female futsal athletes.

Non-randomized, controlled, before-and-after study with a sample size of 50 participants. Participants performed one session of MFR lasting 5 minutes and involving 15 applications of compression and stretches to the iliopsoas bilaterally. Participants were assessed before and after the intervention and in each session they were asked to stand upright barefoot with their arms alongside the body on a baropodometric platform during four postural tasks lasting 60 seconds each one, involving the manipulation of support base and visual information: i) feet apart with eyes open (EO); ii) feet apart with eyes closed (EC); iii) feet together with EO; iv) feet together with EC. The center of pressure (CP) under the feet was measured (sampling frequency of 100Hz) and the following parameters were computed: the standard deviation and the mean velocity in the antero-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions using the whole trial data. For each condition of support base, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was used, with time (before and after) as within-group factor and visual condition (EO and EC) as between-group factor, and post hoc comparisons were made with the Bonferroni test (significance level of 5%).

For the configuration feet apart, ANOVA showed a main effect of time for the AP standard deviation (F=4.715, p=0.032), with a smaller CP variability after than before the intervention, regardless of visual condition (before EO: 4.021±2.515mm, EC: 4.765±4.220mm; after EO: 3.627±2.790mm, EC: 3.950±2.943mm). For feet together, there was na interaction between time and vision (F=3.697, p=0.057), with a difference in CP variability between EO and EC (p=0.056) only before the intervention (before EO: 4.072±1.919mm, EC: 5.443±3.318mm; after EO: 4.650±2.714mm; EC: 4.915±2252mm). Regarding the other CP parameters, ANOVA did not reveal an interaction or time effect (p>0.05).

The main findings suggest iliopsoas MFR reduces the amplitude of CP sways and the difference in the sway variability (AP) between EO and EC conditions during standing.

Given the reduction of postural sways’ size seems to benefit balance control, the iliopsoas MFR could provide benefits to motor performance in futsal athletes.

Myofascial Release; Iliopsoas; Postural Control