Immediate and short term effect of modified active release technique (mART) in patients with scapulocostal syndrome

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the immediate and short-term effect of modified active release technique (mART) in patients with scapulocostal syndrome on pain intensity, average intensity of pain within 24 hours, pressure pain threshold, and cervical and shoulder range of motion. Methods: Fifty two patients with scapulocostal syndrome (5 males, 47 females) were recruited in this study. They were divided into two groups by stratified block random allocation. Usual care of physical therapy (hot pack and ultrasound) and sham manual therapy were applied for control group. Usual care of physical therapy and mART technique were applied for the experimental group. Each group was received 3 times per week of treatment within 3 weeks. Pain intensity, average intensity of pain within 24 hours, pressure pain threshold, and cervical and shoulder range of motion were investigated before and after first treatment and one day after last treatment. Paired samples t-test was used to determine significant difference within group. ANCOVA was used to evaluate significant difference between groups, using a pre-test as a covariate variable. Results: Results showed the reduction of pain intensity and average intensity of pain within 24 hours, increasing of pressure pain threshold, cervical and shoulder range of motion in both groups when compared within group (p<0.05) before and after first treatment and one day after last treatment. However, the outcome measurements in experimental group were shown significant difference compared to control (p<0.05). Conclusion: The mART with usual care of physical therapy showed immediate and short term effects for pain reduction and improvement of cervical and shoulder range of motion in patients with scapulocostal syndrome. Bull Chiang Mai Assoc Med Sci 2016; 49(1): 134-145. Doi: 10.14456/jams.2016.5

Keywords

• Scapulocostal syndrome
• modified active release technique