Strength and conditioning specialists, as well as rehabilitation professionals, continue to seek understanding of the acute human performance effects of pre-event soft tissue treatment among athletes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of three soft tissue treatment protocols on lower extremity dynamic balance, power, and overall perceived lower extremity function as measured by a Y-Balance Lower Quarter Test (YBLQT), vertical jump (VJ), and Perceived Lower Extremity Function Score (PLEFS) respectively. Forty-eight college aged basketball and volleyball athletes participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either Astym treatment (AT), The Stick treatment (ST), or sham Astym treatment (SAT). The suject’s outcomes were measured at baseline and again immediately following the treatment. A 3×2 mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a Bonferroni post hoc test were used to detect between group and within group differences. For data that were not normally distributed, the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U post hoc tests were used. No significant group and time interaction were found for the VJ or YBLQT. The Stick significantly reduced VJ over time while all treatments improved YBLQT over time. Significant group and time interaction for PLEFS occurred at baseline. The Stick may decrease VJ and should be used with caution prior to explosive events.
