This study will examine the immediate (acute) effects of a single myofascial release technique applied to the thoracolumbar fascia on brain activity in healthy young adults aged 18-25. Using a sham-controlled, randomized design, participants will be assigned to either an active treatment group, receiving a 10-minute myofascial release technique to the lower back, or a sham control group, receiving light surface touch to the same area for the same duration without any therapeutic pressure or movement.
Brain activity will be recorded using a portable, 8-channel wireless EEG system before the intervention, shortly after it (0-10 minutes), and again 30 minutes later, allowing researchers to track how cortical activity changes over time. Measurements will focus on sensorimotor rhythms (mu rhythm) and posterior alpha power, along with heart rate variability, to assess whether the myofascial technique produces effects that go beyond those of simple touch. The main goal is to determine whether this hands-on technique produces a measurable, distinct pattern of brain activity compared to a sham (placebo-like) touch condition.
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
eylem.kucuk@amasya.edu.tr+905067025859
Participants will be partially blinded, as the sham (light touch) condition will be presented to them as a placebo intervention, without disclosing which condition is active or inactive. The therapist delivering the intervention will not be blinded, as the nature of the technique (sustained moderate pressure vs. light superficial touch) cannot be concealed from the person applying it. The EEG operator will be blinded to group allocation where feasible. The data analyst responsible for EEG signal processing and statistical analysis will be blinded to group assignment throughout, with group codes masked during analysis to minimize assessment and analytic bias.
Participants in this arm will receive a single 10-minute myofascial release technique (Pilat myofascial induction crossed-hands technique, or an equivalent thoracolumbar-fascia-specific method) applied to the T10-L4 thoracolumbar fascia region while in the prone position, delivered by a certified myofascial therapist using sustained moderate pressure (1.5-2.5 kg). EEG and ECG recordings will be obtained before the intervention (supine), and again at 0-10 minutes and 30 minutes after the intervention (supine), following a "sandwich protocol."
Participants in this arm will receive light surface contact (less than 0.5 kg pressure) over the same thoracolumbar region and for the same 10-minute duration as the active treatment group, without any sliding motion or pressure variation. The condition will be presented to participants as a placebo intervention to maintain partial blinding. EEG and ECG recordings will follow the same "sandwich protocol" and timing as the active group.
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