Investigation of the Effect of the Foam Roller Method Applied to the Sternocleidomastoid Muscle After Respiratory Muscle Fatigue

The sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) is one of the largest cervical muscles located in the superficial layer of the neck region. The primary movements of the muscle are rotation and lateral flexion. Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) tends to be overactive in many people. In general, when abnormal postures and abnormal positions are adopted, they have to work harder to help stabilize the neck area and thus the head. It is also the auxiliary respiratory muscle for breathing along with the scalene muscles. For this reason, it has been reported in the literature that in patients with chronic lung diseases who have low respiratory capacity, tension and trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) occur due to overwork of this muscle all day.

Foam Roller (FR) application is generally used to create pressure on soft tissues by using body weight and relaxation is achieved in the muscle. The aim of our study is to examine the acute effect of the foam roller (FR) method applied to the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle after inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on range of motion (ROM) and muscle strength in healthy young adults. When the studies in the literature were examined, it was concluded that there was no study examining the effect of foam roller (FR) on sternocleidomastoid (SCM) before. In addition, there is no study examining the use of foam roller (FR) after inspiratory muscle training.

First of all, the target group (healthy adults) determined for the project will be participants, taking into account the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Each participant will sign the Voluntary Consent Form and participate in the study. Participants will be asked to fill out a demographic data form before starting the study and hypermobility values will be measured according to the Beighton score before starting the tests. Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) is an accessory respiratory muscle located in the neck. Due to the sensitivity of its location and function, it is important to perform the foam roller (FR) application with the right technique. For this reason, all volunteers participating in the investigators' study will be informed about the anatomical structure and kinesiological nature of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle and the foam roller (FR) application will be taught. After the selection and informing of the volunteers, the cases before the study one by one; measurement of maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), range of motion (ROM) measurements, muscle activity measurement with electromyography (EMG), muscle strength tests, flexibility status parameters will be measured with a myotony measuring device. After all evaluations have been made, 30 breaths will be applied with 2 repetitions of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) with a Power Breathe device, 80% of the Maximum Inspiratory Pressure (MIP). After inspiratory muscle training (IMT), foam roller (FR) application on the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle will be applied with 3 sets of 1 minute and a 30-second listening period between each set. 27 healthy cases will be included in our study. After the inspiratory muscle training (IMT) study, first foam roller (FR) will be applied to the right sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle in each included case, and then it will be evaluated with the evaluation criteria. After a 1 week washout period, foam roller (FR) will be applied to the left sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle after inspiratory muscle training (IMT) application. All measurements will be repeated immediately after the application and 15 minutes later.

The analysis of the data to be obtained will be carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25 package program.

As a result of the success of the project, it is thought that it will be a source of inspiration for new studies in patients with chronic lung diseases.