Does Manual Therapy Provide Immediate Improvement in Lumbar Range of Motion?

Myofascial release is a manual therapy technique commonly used by clinicians and bodyworkers to provide effects such as decreased pain, improvement in flexibility, ROM, and quality of life. It combines non-gliding fascial traction with varying amounts of stretching to produce a tensional force on the muscle and its associated fascia resulting in viscoelastic lengthening and deformation.

The sham treatment of light touch will be applied to the lumbar spine and this form of contact is not therapeutic. It is only meant to only mimic a manual therapy technique.