Research Information System
Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, vol.46, pp.147-156, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
Background Fascial Manipulation (FM®) can be defined as a type of manual therapy which aims at treating the fascia in order to manage muskuloskeletal pain and structural dysfunctions. The purpose of this systematic review is thus to evaluate the effects of FM® on reducing pain, increasing ROM and improving functional outcomes over the last 10 years. Methods A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct and the PEDro database from the year 2015 January to 2025 December. Study design types: Randomized controlled trials and observational studies (clinical details of the effects in musculoskeletal disorders for FM). The data that was extracted included the design of the study, the sample size, the intervention protocols, the outcomes that were measured and the major outcomes. A total of sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 4 observational studies that applied the Stecco Fascial Manipulation® method. The primary outcomes assessed in this review were pain reduction, improvement in range of motion (ROM), and functional recovery. Secondary outcomes included patient-reported quality of life, proprioception, and any reported adverse effects. Findings This review included a total of 16 articles where the number of participants ranged from 25 to approximately 200 and the intervention period varied from 3 to 14 weeks. Of the studies, pain was found to have reduced (20–50 %) and ROM improved (15–35 % absolute difference) with FM® interventions. FM® also had positive effects on the athletic performance, the functional mobility and post-surgical recovery. The variety of methods was observed in the studies, which made the research methodology quite heterogeneous; different protocols of FM® and the outcomes measured; the data on the results of the follow-up were also scarce. Conclusion FM® appears to be a potentially effective strategy in managing musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction by reducing the intensity of pain, improving ROM and the patients' overall function. The majority of included trials were of moderate methodological quality, often limited by small sample sizes and short-term follow-up, underscoring the need for standardized FM® protocols and high-quality long-term studies. More research with standardized protocols and a longer follow up in the various populations may help to increase the evidence of FM®’s effectiveness in the future.