The effect of a Graston massage treatment session on pain and range of motion in patients with chronic low back pain

Aims and background: Chronic back pain is a common disease among men. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a Graston massage session on pain and range of motion of the lumbar and hip regions in men with chronic low back pain. Materials and Methods: The present study was an experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design. Participants in this study were 56 men with chronic low back pain who were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 28) and control (n = 28) groups. In this study, pain with VAS visual index and range of motion were evaluated with inclinometer along with Android smartphone application. In the experimental group, massage with Greston instrument was performed for one session for 20 minutes. The control group did not receive any intervention in this study. In order to test the research hypotheses under normal conditions, analysis of covariance (between groups) and correlated t (within groups) were used Results: The results of this study showed that applying a Graston massage session on constant pain during movement and range of motion of men with chronic low back pain was effective (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Due to the effect of Craston massage on back pain and range of motion of the joints, coaches and sports physicians are recommended to use this type of intervention to prevent injuries and treatment.