Effectiveness of massage-based rehabilitation in professional and elite athletes following arthroscopic ACL reconstruction for enhancing return-to-sport (RTS): a systematic review.
Ehsan Esmaeili Nematabadi, Teimour Darzabi
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In 30 seconds
This PRISMA-guided systematic review assessed massage-based and related manual therapies after arthroscopic ACL reconstruction in professional and elite athletes, focusing on return to sport (RTS). It included primary research published from January 2020 to February 2026 and appraised study quality using design-appropriate tools. Across the included evidence, massage-based interventions were associated with reduced pain and oedema, improved muscle tone and proprioception, and faster functional recovery. The most favourable RTS outcomes were reported when massage was incorporated into structured, individualized, exercise-based rehabilitation; successful RTS was commonly achieved within 6–12 months.
Key findings
- Massage-based interventions were associated with reduced pain and oedema after ACL reconstruction.
- Reported benefits included improved muscle tone, proprioception, neuromuscular control, and functional recovery.
- More favourable RTS outcomes were reported with individualized, phased, exercise-based rehabilitation incorporating massage.
- Successful RTS was commonly reported within 6–12 months, alongside sport-specific conditioning, objective testing, and psychological-readiness assessment.
Why it matters
The review suggests that manual therapies may contribute to symptom management and functional recovery after ACL reconstruction, but places them within—not in place of—comprehensive rehabilitation. Its emphasis on phased progression, sport-specific conditioning, objective functional assessment, and psychological readiness highlights that RTS is a broader rehabilitation outcome than pain relief alone.
What to keep in mind
The abstract provides no pooled effect estimate or study-level results, and does not report the number or size of included studies. Findings are described as associations across varied interventions and study designs.