Riassunto dello studio

Sixty patients with cervical disc herniation were randomized to receive conventional physiotherapy alone (CT; n=20), CT plus percussion massage therapy using a handheld vibration device (PMT; n=20), or CT plus instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization with stainless-steel tools (IASTM; n=20). The primary outcomes of interest were neck pain at rest and during activity (VAS) and neck-related disability (Neck Disability Index). Secondary outcomes included kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia) and cervical joint position sense in flexion, extension, and right/left rotation. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after 3 weeks of treatment. Overall, the results of the study revealed that all three interventions produced clinically meaningful improvements in pain, disability, kinesiophobia, and proprioception, but adding either IASTM or PMT led to greater reductions in pain, fear of movement, and joint position error than CT alone, with no meaningful differences between the two myofascial techniques. These findings suggest that both IASTM and PMT are effective adjuncts to conventional rehabilitation for sensorimotor deficits in cervical disc herniation.