Investigation of the Effects of Vibration Therapy on Pain, Functionality, and Proprioception After ACL Injury

Over the past decade, vibration therapy has gained popularity. This treatment involves the transmission of vibration either through whole-body vibration (WBV) platforms or by applying local vibration (LV) directly to the muscles or tendons. In the context of ACLR (anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction), it has been reported that a single session of either WBV or LV, applied while patients maintain a squatting position, acutely improves the strength of the Quadriceps muscle when applied 50 months post-surgery, possibly by reducing arthrogenic muscle inhibition. Another study tested whether local vibration training (LVT) in the early post-ACLR phase (first 10 weeks) could improve strength recovery and found that LVT enhances strength regain after ACLR. This feasibility study demonstrates that LVT applied to relaxed muscles is a promising method of vibration therapy that can be applied early in ACLR. Compared to traditional massage, vibration therapy may also improve strength parameters. Percussion massage therapy is a new method that combines elements of traditional massage and vibration therapy. In the literature, there is a lack of scientific evidence on how and to what extent percussion massage therapy affects range of motion (ROM) and muscle strength. To date, only one conference paper has investigated the effects of a handheld percussion massage therapy device, and they found no change in vertical jump height after a 5-minute percussion massage therapy session applied to several lower body muscle groups." A review of the literature reveals that to date, there has been no study investigating the effects of manually applied percussion massage therapy on pain, functionality, and proprioception in cases who have undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to examine the effects of percussion massage therapy on pain, joint range of motion, joint position sense, muscle diameter, balance parameters, and functionality in pati