ABSTRACT
Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association of ultrasonography findings with pain, range of motion, disability, and pressure pain threshold in patients with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome
Methods: A total of 60 subjects with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome [mean age: 25.90 +/- 4.47 y; mean weight: 63.53 +/- 7.76 kg; mean height: 166.55 +/- 5.65 cm; and pain duration: 9.75 +/- 6.04 month] were selected with nonprobability convenient sampling method and examined. After methodological study, all participants were evaluated regarding their pain, cervical range of motion, functional disability, pressure pain threshold [PPT], maximum muscle and fascia thickness as well as strain ratio by the following instruments, respectively: visual analogue scale, goniometry, neck disability index, algometer, sonography, and sonoelastography
Results: The ICC values for intra- and inter-examiner reliability of variables were high to very high [0.72-0.96]. The correlation coefficients between pain [r=0.22], range of motion [r=0.11], disability [r=0.13], PPT [r=0.32], and maximum thickness of muscle were moderate. The correlation coefficients between pain [r=0.13], range of motion [r=0.23], disability [r=0.17], PPT [r=0.23] and maximum thickness of fascia were low. The correlation coefficients between pain [r=-0.65], range of motion [r=-0.23], disability [r=-0.41], PPT [r=0.71] were high. Values of betafor strain ratio and pain were -0.35 [P=0.01], range of motion, -0.14, [P=0.03]; disability, -0.19, [P=0.03]; and PPT, 0.41 [P<0.001]
Conclusion: Strain ratio of upper trapezius muscle in subjects with myofascial pain syndrome has strong correlation with pain, disability, and PPT. However, maximum muscle thickness and fascia of the upper trapezius are correlated with these variables poorly. PPT is the highly correlated factor with strain ratio
ABSTRACT
To examine the effects of consecutive supervised stability training on postural control of Chronic Low Back Pain [CLBP] population. Thirty-eight subjects with Chronic Low Back Pain [CLBP] were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Concise Supervised Stability Training [CSST] group [n=20] and electrotherapy [E] group [n=18]. Bilateral and unilateral stance ability with eyes open or closed was assessed by using Biodex Balance System. Postural indices including overall, anterior/posterior, medial/lateral stability indices and limit of stability parameters as time to complete and functional performance of subjects were recorded. Qualitative and quantitative variables were not significant between groups before treatment. Most postural indices showed significant decrease after stability training comparing with E group. CSST may improve postural balance in patients with Chronic Low Back Pain [CLBP] because of facilitating feed forward mechanism, proprioception and postural strategies. Nevertheless, more investigations are needed to evaluate the effects of CSST in Chronic Low Back Pain [CLBP] patients