Comparative Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effects of Tissue Flossing and Assisted Stretching Massage in Knee Joint Dysfunction

Aim: To investigate and compare the effects of tissue flossing with assisted stretching massage on the knee dysfunction. Materials and methods: Sixteen patients were studied, divided into two groups: Group A – control (n=8, men/women=5/3) with a mean age of 36±4.2 years and Group B – experimental (n=8, men/women=4/4) with a mean age of 38±3.8 years. All patients had impaired knee joint function with varying degrees of pain, limited range of motion and reduced muscle strength. The control group of patients was treated with the generally accepted effective stretching massage, and the experimental group – with the relatively new physiotherapeutic method of tissue flossing, applied to the entire lower limb, and not to one joint, as in previous studies. Before and after treatment, we measured the intensity of pain in the knee joint using a visual analog scale (VAS), the volume of motion (VOM) using knee goniometry, and muscle strength using dynamometry. Results: Both therapy modalities applied to the experimental and control groups showed positive impact on the patient’s condition with slightly better results in the experimental group. A significantly better effect in patients treated with tissue flossing was found regarding pain intensity, knee flexion range of motion, and muscle strength. Conclusion: A positive effect on the impaired functionality of the knee joint was established after the application of both physiotherapeutic methods of tissue flossing and stretching massage. Tissue flossing therapy is more effective compared to stretching massage, it has a better effect on the intensity of pain, it increases and normalizes the volume of movement in the joint, increases muscle strength and control more significantly, which is why we recommend its use as a main or additional treatment modality.