Analysis of effects of manual therapy on muscular mechanics using finite element modeling

Abstract

In this present study, the specific goal was to evaluate the mechanical effects of manual therapy quantitatively. Physiotherapists primarily aim for increasing the range of motion of restricted joints during treatment, therefore lengthening of the target muscle was highly important for this study. Simulation of therapeutic loading was applied at three different locations (Location P, I, and D) for single loading cases and at two different locations (Location P, I and Location I-D) for multiple loading cases on EDL muscle model of rat with extramuscular connections. Nodal strain percentage changes of Case P, Case I, and Case D and Case P, Case P-I and Case I-D loading cases were compared. Loading the muscle at a proximal location yields more pronounced percentage changes for both fiber and cross-fiber direction nodal strain and for strain distributions. These effects were shown to be more substantial for compressive loading compared to loading in tension. Our results also suggest that increasing the number of loading locations does not provide any notable improvement in the intended effects of manual therapy. Our results should be tested in clinical environment to have a scientific basis of the effects of therapeutic loading of muscles.|Keywords: Manual Therapy, Muscle Mechanics, Finite Element Modeling, EDL Muscle, Graston Technique.