Publication Cover
Physiotherapy Theory and Practice
An International Journal of Physical Therapy
Volume 34, 2018 - Issue 10
251
Views
2
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Report

Safety and effectiveness of fascial therapy in adult patients with hemophilic arthropathy. A pilot study

, PT, , PhD, , PhD & , PhD
Pages 757-764 | Received 30 Dec 2016, Accepted 10 May 2017, Published online: 15 Jan 2018
 

ABSTRACT

Background: The primary clinical manifestations of hemophilia are muscle and joint bleeding. Recurrent bleeding leads to a degenerative process known as hemophilic arthropathy. Fascial therapy is one of the most used physiotherapy techniques today to improve joint dysfunctions and chronic pain. Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of fascial therapy treatment in patients with hemophilic arthropathy of ankle and knee. Design: Non-randomized, controlled clinical trial. Intervention: Sixteen patients with hemophilia were allocated to an experimental group or to a control group. The physiotherapy intervention was performed through three sessions (one per week), for 60 min per session. Patients received a physiotherapy treatment using a fascial therapy protocol for patients with hemophilia. Main Outcome Measures: The joint status was evaluated using the Hemophilia Joint Health Score; pain was assessed with the Visual Analogue Scale; the range of movement was evaluated using a universal goniometer; the flexibility of the hamstring muscles was assessed with the fingertip-to-floor, and the lumbar mobility through the Schöber test. Results: We observed significant differences in the experimental group for both quality of life and illness behavior. There was no significant improvement in the joint status; however, an improvement was noted in terms of perception of pain in the ankle. Conclusions: A physiotherapy program based on fascial therapy is safe in patients with hemophilia. Fascial therapy may improve joint status, pain, and mobility in patients with hemophiliac arthropathy of the knee and ankle.

Acknowledgments

The authors are particularly grateful to the Association Murcia Regional of Hemophilia and the Association of Hemophilia of Burgos for their help in recruiting the sample. The authors state that this work has received financial support from Bayer HealthCare, through Bayer Hemophilia Awards Program (Caregiver Award 2016).

Declaration of Interest

There is no conflict of interest.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.