International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
Isidro Fernandez-Lopez, David Pena-Otero, Maria de los Angeles Atin-Arratibel, Maria Eguillor-Mutiloa
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain Hospital de Sierrallana, Spain Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Spain
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Int J Phys Med Rehabil
Objectives: To analyze the effects at the musculoskeletal level of manual treatment of the diaphragm muscle in adults. Data Sources: Systematic review using 4 databases: PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scopus. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Two independent reviewers applied the selection criteria and assessed the quality of the studies using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale for experimental studies. A third reviewer intervened in cases where a consensus had not been reached. A total of 9 studies were included in the review. Data Synthesis: Manual therapy directed to the diaphragm has been shown to be effective in terms of the immediate increase in diaphragmatic mobility and thoracoabdominal expansion. The immediate improvement in the posterior muscle chain flexibility test is another of the most frequently found findings in the evaluated studies. Limited studies show improvements at the lumbar and cervical level in the range of motion and in pain. Conclusion: Manual diaphragm therapy has shown an immediate significant effect on parameters related to costal, spinal, and posterior muscle chain mobility. Further studies are needed, not only to demonstrate the effectiveness of manual diaphragm therapy in the long-term and in symptomatic population, but also to investigate the specific neurophysiological mechanisms involved in this type of therapy. Recent Publications 1. Effects of Manual Therapy on the Diaphragm in the Musculoskeletal System: A Systematic Review. Fernández-López, Isidro et al. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 102, Issue 12, 2402 – 2415 2. Influence of the phrenic nerve in shoulder pain: A systematic review. Fernández-López, Isidro et al. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, Volume 36, 36 – 48 3. Isidro Fernández-López, David Peña-Otero, María de los Ángeles Atín-Arratibel, María Eguillor-Mutiloa, Carmen Bravo-Llatas, Marta Genovés-Crespo, Francisco Javier Callejas-González. Effects of diaphragm muscle treatment in shoulder pain and mobility in subjects with rotator cuff injuries: A dataset derived from a pilot clinical trial, Data in Brief, Volume 35, 2021, 106867.
Isidro Fernández-López is a Physiotherapist with PhD. MSc. and Osteopath D.O. in Holystic Centro de Recuperación in Madrid (Spain). He is also an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He is a Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy and Physical Activity and Health. He has authored many publications in international scientific journals in the field of shoulder pathology, neurorehabilitation and sports biomechanics.