{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,20]],"date-time":"2026-05-20T05:08:14Z","timestamp":1779253694043,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,11]],"date-time":"2026-05-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778457600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) and depression often co-occur. This study compared a fascia-focused physiotherapeutic program with a conventional physiotherapeutic and relaxation-based program in psychosomatic inpatients with CLBP and comorbid depression. Methods: In this exploratory quasi-randomized study, 41 inpatients were allocated to a fascia-focused intervention group (n = 23) or a conventional active control group (n = 18). Over six weeks, the intervention group received Bowen therapy and fascia circuit training, whereas the control group received progressive muscle relaxation and strength circuit training. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after rehabilitation. NRS pain intensity and BDI-II depressive symptom severity were the main clinically relevant outcomes; spinal function, tissue stiffness, pressure pain threshold, and craniovertebral angle were secondary or exploratory outcomes. Results: Both groups improved over time in pain intensity and depressive symptom severity. NRS scores decreased by 3.21 \u00b1 2.61 points in the fascia-focused group and by 2.17 \u00b1 2.34 points in the control group; BDI-II scores decreased by 9.30 \u00b1 13.42 and 7.22 \u00b1 8.57 points, respectively. Repeated-measures ANOVA confirmed significant time effects for NRS and BDI-II, with no significant group differences or time \u00d7 group interactions. Significant time effects were also observed for thoracic tissue stiffness, lumbar and pelvic posture, thoracic and lumbar mobility, and pelvic stability. Conclusions: Fascia-focused and conventional physiotherapy showed similar observed effects in this exploratory quasi-randomized study. The absence of significant between-group differences should be interpreted cautiously because the study was not designed or powered to establish formal equivalence.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15103698","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,11]],"date-time":"2026-05-11T17:17:42Z","timestamp":1778519862000},"page":"3698","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Fascia-Focused Versus Conventional Physiotherapy for Chronic Low Back Pain and Comorbid Depression in Psychosomatic Inpatients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2460-5197","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lea","family":"Overmann","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Private Clinic Overmann, 59229 Ahlen, Germany"},{"name":"Association for Fascia Research, 80799 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katharina","family":"Steinmeier","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Psychology, DIPLOMA University of Applied Sciences, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8757-2551","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andreas","family":"Brandl","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Psychology, DIPLOMA University of Applied Sciences, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Conservative and Rehabilitative Orthopedics, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, 80809 Munich, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"},{"name":"Triagon Academy, MRS 1331 Marsa, Malta"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2101-3156","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christoph","family":"Egner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Psychology, DIPLOMA University of Applied Sciences, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Kreutzer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sonia","family":"Gadea de Reckel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Petrilena-Sorina","family":"Floroiu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Silke","family":"Zimmermann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"St\u00fchn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Heike","family":"Gei\u00df","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Annette","family":"Kleeberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopedics and Psychosomatic Medicine, Klinik Kurhessen, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1225-0475","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robert","family":"Schleip","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health and Psychology, DIPLOMA University of Applied Sciences, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Conservative and Rehabilitative Orthopedics, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, 80809 Munich, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"666","DOI":"10.1097\/j.pain.0000000000003056","article-title":"Co-occurrence of chronic pain and anxiety\/depression symptoms in U.S. adults","volume":"165","author":"Brady","year":"2024","journal-title":"Pain"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.21037\/atm.2020.02.175","article-title":"Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017","volume":"8","author":"Wu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann. 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