Neural Mobilization Effects in Posterior Myofascial

Chain Flexibility and in Head Posture

Kaísa Trovão Diniz1, Rafael Moura Miranda2, Clarissa Dantas Ribeiro3, Danilo de Almeida Vasconcelos4 and José

Eulálio Cabral Filho5*

ABSTRACT

Irregular mechanical  and physiological responses in the nervous system may cause tensions in the muscular chains.  Neural  mobilization tries to restore the nervous system’s movement and  elasticity, rehabilitating its normal  functions.  The main  objective  of this research  was  to  evaluate  the  posterior  myofascial  chain’s flexibility and the head  posture after neural mobilization. This study has a quantitative descriptive nature and included 55 students from both sexes, ranging from 18 to 29-years-old.  To collect the data,  we took profile photographs  in the slump test position before and  after the neural mobilization was applied.  These images were then analyzed by the software AutoCAD© 2007. In order to evaluate  the flexibility, we analyzed the tibiotarsal joint angle  (TTA) and  the finger-floor distance (FFD). To evaluate  the head  posture,  we analyzed the  craniospinal   angle   (CSA). Both  TTA   and   FFD were  significantly reduced   —  101,04  to  100,14 (p<0,001) and  16,94 to  13,69  (p<0,001), respectively —  after  the  method  was  applied.  CSA also diminished after mobilization, from 53,85 to 52,98 (p<0,024). The results show that neural  mobilization can influence the flexibility of the posterior myofascial chain as well as the head posture.

KEY WORDS: nervous system, vertebral column, fascia.