Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization as a promising approach for children with chronic neck pain: A single-blind, randomized study

Abstract

Background: Numerous interventions exist for neck pain in all age groups, but novel manual approaches warrant further investigation to assess their applicability in pediatric populations. Objective: This study aimed to determine and compare the immediate effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and classical massage (CM) in children aged 10-11 years with chronic neck pain. Methods: IASTM or CM were applied to the neck regions of a total of 52 children with chronic neck pain. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), universal goniometer, and digital pressure algometer were used to evaluate pain severity, Range of Motion (ROM), and pressure pain threshold (PPT).Results Significant within-group improvements were observed in VAS scores and cervical ROM post-treatment (p < .001). Additionally, a significant difference was found only in the PPT value of the left cervical region in the CM group (W = -2.237; p = .025). Between-group differences at each time showed that significant differences were found in cervical flexion (U = 2.630, p = .009) and PPT left cervical (U = -2.326; p = .020) before treatment and also, significant differences were obtained in the PPT right cervical (U = -2.555; p = .011), PPT right upper trapezius (U = -2.545; p = .011), and PPT left upper trapezius (U = -1.968; p = .049), after treatment. Conclusion: Both IASTM and CM were equally effective in reducing pain severity, the study's primary outcome. When adjusted for time, differences emerged only in cervical lateral flexion, with region-specific variations. However, long-term outcomes remain unknown, and future trials should include follow-up periods, larger and more diverse samples, and control or placebo groups to clarify clinical effect.