ReviewJournal of exercise rehabilitation2017
Therapeutic effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization for soft tissue injury: mechanisms and practical application.
Review in Journal of exercise rehabilitation, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 7 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 43 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparative Effects of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization and Therapeutic Cupping on Hamstring Tightness Among Football Players
Effectiveness of Thoracic Mobility Exercise Versus Manual Release Technique in Minimizing Mechanical Upper Back Pain Among Undergraduates in Sri Lanka
Effectiveness of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization in Management of Piriformis Syndrome
The Effect of Soft Tissue Mobilization and Kinesio Taping Applied to Athletics Athletes on Sports Performance
EFFECTS of INSTRUMENT-ASSISTED SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION VS. NEURODEVELOPMENTAL THERAPY on MOTOR FUNCTION in CHILDREN with GMFCS LEVEL I and II SPASTIC DIPLEGIC CEREBRAL PALSY
Effects of Post-Isometric Relaxation Technique Versus Cross Friction Soft Tissue Mobilization on Pain, Range of Motion, and Endurance in Leg Spin Bowlers With Rotator Cuff Strain
The Effect of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Pain, Skinfold Thickness, Shortness, and Functional Muscle Strength in Sedentary Individuals With Hamstring Tightness
Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 141 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of chiropractic care for fall prevention: rationale, state of the evidence, and recommendations for future research.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Pooled it
- Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization: A Systematic Review and Effect-Size Analysis.Journal of athletic training · 2019Pooled it
- Effects of a two-week instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization and exercise therapy versus sham and exercise on gait kinetics in moderate knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2026Trial
- Effects of instrument assisted and functional soft tissue mobilization on hamstring flexibility and skinfold thickness in sedentary adults.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization combined with exercise on knee joint muscle activity during walking in patients with moderate knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- The Immediate Effects of Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Pain and Function in Female Runners with Patellofemoral Pain.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Trial
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization and percussion massage therapy in cervical disc herniation: a randomized controlled study.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Trial
- Comparative Effects of Facial Roller and Gua Sha Massage on Facial Contour, Muscle Tone, and Skin Elasticity: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of cosmetic dermatology · 2025Trial
- Effect of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization combined with exercise therapy on pain and muscle endurance in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled study.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2024Trial
- Evaluating the role of Shujing Tongdu massage in enhancing wound recovery and alleviating spinal disease symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.International wound journal · 2024Trial
- Trial
- Bilateral Idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Clinical-Functional Characterization and Efficacy of Two Combined Postoperative Physiotherapeutic Treatments.Orthopaedic surgery · 2023Trial
- Trial
- Soft Tissue Mobilization and Stretching for Shoulder in CrossFitters: A Randomized Pilot Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Trial
- Effects of Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Musculoskeletal Properties.Medicine and science in sports and exercise · 2019Trial
- Impact of Graston Technique and Deep Friction Massage on Plantar Fasciitis Using the Foot Function Index: A Scoping Review.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026Article
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization for musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of its effects on pain, function, and range of motion.European journal of medical research · 2026Article
- Myofascial release and fascial-targeted mechanical interventions in musculoskeletal rehabilitation: mechanisms, modalities, and integrative physiology.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Review
- Progresses in Wound Healing: Integrating Nutrition, Physical Therapy, Traditional and Alternative Medicine, and Novel Technologies.Current diabetes reviews · 2026Review
- Therapeutic outcomes of cryotherapy plus Graston Technique on pain and activities of daily living in individuals with knee pain.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This article reviews the mechanism and effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM), along with guidelines for its practical application. IASTM refers to a technique that uses instruments to remove scar tissues from injured soft tissues and facilitate healing process through formation of new extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen. Recently, frequent use of this instrument has increased in the fields of sports rehabilitation and athlete training. Some experimental studies and case reports have reported that IASTM can significantly improve soft tissue function and range of motion following sports injury, while also reducing pain. Based on the previous studies, it is thought that IASTM can help shorten the rehabilitation period and time to return to sports among athletes and ordinary people who have suffered sports injuries. However, few experimental studies of the mechanisms and effects of IASTM have examined, while case reports have accounted for the majority of articles. In the future, the scientific basis of IASTM and its reliability should be provided through well-designed experimental studies on humans. Moreover, IASTM studies that have mostly focused on tendons need to broaden their scope toward other soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.