Comparison Between the Effectiveness of Muscle Energy Technique and Ischemic Compression On Myofascial Trigger Points in Patients with Chronic Shoulder Pain

Abstract

Patients with chronic shoulder pain often experience myofascial trigger points. An ischemic compression (IC) slows blood flow and relieves tension by applying sustained digital pressure for a specific period of time. MET, which stands for Muscle Energy Technique, is another manual method for releasing muscle tension (inhibition). Objective: To compare the effectiveness of muscle energy technique and ischemic compression on myofascial trigger points in patients with chronic shoulder pain. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 40 patients were enrolled from Physical Therapy Department, DHQ hospital Faisalabad, during September 2018 to March 2019. Patients were allocated into two groups. Muscle energy technique was applied on group A (n=20) and ischemic compression was applied on group B (n=20). Both groups received treatment three days a week for four weeks. Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, Neck Disability Index, Visual Analogue Scale and Goniometer were used to take measurements at baseline and after four weeks of treatment. SPSS 20.0 was used for data entry and analysis. Difference between two treatments was determined by using independent t-test. Results: A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for all outcome measures (p < 0.05) at four weeks follow-up. Conclusions: Results suggest that muscle energy technique seems more effective compared to ischemic compression in terms of decreasing pain, upper limb and neck disability and improving shoulder mobility in patients with chronic shoulder pain having myofascial trigger points.