Trapezius Muscle StrainNCT05125484
Comparison of Bowen's Technique and Myofascial Release Technique On Pain And Disability in Trapezitis
A study testing experimental Bowen Technique and Experimental Myofacial release technique in people with Trapezius Muscle Strain, run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.
Trial summary
The aim of this research is to compare the effects of Bowen's technique and Myofascial Release technique on pain and disability in patients with trapezitis.Randomized controlled trials done at Islamabad Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre(IPRC) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital. The sample size was 66. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 40 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Trapezius Muscle Strain
- What is being tested?
- experimental Bowen Technique and Experimental Myofacial release technique
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 66 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePakistan
- Study dates
- 16 Nov 2021to 1 Feb 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 40 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Both male and female.
- Age 20-40 years.
- Clinically diagnosed with Trapezitis.(Spasm,stiffness,Tenderness,Trigger Points,Taut band)
- Cummulative trauma disorder
- Occupational overuse syndrome
Who cannot join
- Any medical conditions or diseases that could interfere with intervention performance.
- Any traumatic neck injury
- Cervical vertebral fracture
- Cervical spinal cord compromise/ cervical myelopathy
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Cervical Spondylolisthesis
- Any tumour
- Any degenerative diseases
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Comparison Of Bowen's Technique And Myofascial Release Technique On Pain And Disability In Patients With Trapezitis
The aim of this research is to compare the effects of Bowen's technique and Myofascial Release technique on pain and disability in patients with trapezitis.Randomized controlled trials done at Islamabad Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre(IPRC) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital. The sample size was 66. The subjects were divided in two groups, 33 subjects in Bowen's Technique group and 33 subjects in Myofascial Release Technique group. Study duration was of 6 months. Sampling technique applied was non probability purposive sampling technique. The patients aged 20-40 years and clinicaly diagnosed with Trapezitis(spasm,trigger points,tenderness,stiffness) were included in the study. Tools used in the study are Cervical ROMs, NPRS, NDI, Isometric Scapular Pinch Test and Lateral Scapular Slide Test.
Read the detailed description
Trapezitis is a condition that involves inflammation of the trapezius muscle. The upper fibers of trapezius, being the postural muscles, are highly susceptible to overuse injuries and thus the inflammation.This results in pain that is present during the rest, is aggravated with activity and is referred to the other areas. The pain results in protective spasm of the antagonistic muscle group that also restricts the passive range of motion and makes it painful too. In people working for long hours at a desk and computers or spending many hours driving, the low level of upper trapezius activity is frequently found because of head posture during sitting and standing , which is common cause of tension and neck pain in such people.Various recent studies have hypothesized that trapezitis occurs due to muscle tissue overloading and injury, that results in involuntary shortening of localized muscle fibers. The stressed soft tissue area thus receives less glucose, oxygen and nutrients supply; subsequently high levels of metabolic waste products are accumulated. And this cascade of events ends in altered status of tissue, pain and the development of the Trigger points in the muscle.
Myofascial Release(MFR) is a soft tissue mobilization technique that is defined as " the facilitation of mechanical, neural and psycho physiological adaptive potential as interfaced via the myofascial system".MFR decreases the pain and restores the proper alignment by changing the ground substance's viscosity to more fluid state resulting in elimination of excessive pressure of fascia on the pain sensitive structures.
There is one more soft tissue technique called 'Bowen Technique' that is useful and indicated in myofascial pain. The Bowen technique is defined as:
'…dynamic system of muscle and connective tissue therapy which balances the body to allow it to heal itself. The work consists of a series of precise moves on specific points of the body. These moves are light and can be done through clothing. There are frequent and important pauses between each series of moves giving the body time to benefit from each. The technique uses positive moves that initiate a positive energy flow and negative moves that isolate this energy to a specific area' (Rentsch and Rentsch,1997) The Bowen technique was developed by late Tom Bowen in Geelong, Australia in 1950. It is a connective tissue technique that uses subtle inputs called 'Bowen moves' to the body that stimulates the body's self-healing. The Bowen moves applied are in several sets in a complete session of 15-45 minutes duration. While applying the technique, the therapist uses the thumb when the Bowen move is executed away from the patient's body and two fingers are used when the Bowen move is executed towards the patient's body. The technique can be used anywhere on the origin, insertion or the belly of the muscle and produces a physical and an energetic action.
This technique can be used to treat many types acute and chronic injuries and other health issues. It does this by using holistic approach in which body's innate healing mechanism is stimulated. This technique has been recommended in many conditions like headache, cervical pain, back pain, whiplash injury, TMJ dysfunction, herniated disk, tennis elbow, hamstring tightness and frozen shoulder, work related injuries etc.
An RCT was done by Ekta S. Chaudhary, Nehal Shah, Neeta Vyas, Ratan Khuman1, Dhara Chavda1, Gopal Nambi that compared the effectiveness of MFR and cold pack in Upper trapezius Spasm and concluded both MFR and cold pack along with exercises to be effective in upper trapezium muscle spasm but the overall effects of MFR surpassed the cold therapy. Another study by Pooja Mane , Amrutkuvar Pawar , Trupti Warude compared the effects of Myofascial Release technique with Deep Friction Massage on pain and cervical ROM, the results concluded both therapies to bring improvement in pain and cervical ROM but MFR was more effective. Similarly, a systematic review of RCTs was conducted to determine the effectiveness of MFR in decreasing pain , improving function and elongate length and concluded MFR to be emerging strategy with strong evidence base and solid treatment option for many conditions. A study was conducted to compare the effects of MFR with hot pack in reducing pain and improving passive ROM in shoulder joint and that concluded both to be effective but MFR proved to be more favorable because of the less time spent and no need of equipment.
A study has been done to see the effects of Bowen technique as an adjunct therapy to conventional physiotherapy treatment on the pain and functional outcomes in patient with Acute trapezitis and the results established Bowen technique to be effective in decreasing pain and improving functional outcomes in Acute trapezitis.A few studies were conducted that evaluated the effectiveness of Bowen technique in frozen shoulder and concluded this technique as a positive intervention in improving mobility, functional status and decreasing pain. A few studies were conducted that compared the effects of Bowen technique vs MET in treatment of hamstring tightness.And few other worked to establish the effectiveness of Bowen technique in different complex and common conditions and found positive results.A study was done to show Bowen technique to be effective in health service workplace to improve physical as well as mental well-being of the working staff.
This study aims to compare the short term effects of Bowen Technique and MFR on pain and neck disability in patients with trapezitis. Also it intends to study the short term effects of both techniques on scapular motions. Bowen technique is a relatively new technique, having easier application and has been less worked on. So, if this study proves the effectiveness of Bowen technique in comparison with MFR in patient with trapezitis. Further studies can be conducted to evaluate its efficacy as an independent and preferable procedure in treatment of other conditions and further work can be conducted on other areas as well. As this is a holistic technique, so it could be a beneficial addition in the daily clinical practice.
- Conditions
- Trapezius Muscle Strain
- Being tested
- experimental Bowen Technique, Experimental Myofacial release technique
- Keywords
- Bowen therapy, Myofacial Release Technique, Isometric Scapular pinch test, Lateral Scapular Slide test, NDI
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
experimental Bowen TechniqueOther
Patient was in lying position. Therapist placed thumb on the effected side muscke. Then hooked thumb on lateral edge of muscle to apply pressure against the muscle. Took a pause. Thumb flattened in a medial direction and pluck was created in muscle.
Set of 15-20 bowen moves on upper , middle and lower fibres each with 2 mins gap between each set.
Total treatment time: 20 mins
Experimental Myofacial release techniqueOther
Patient was in lying position. MFR applied via ulnar border of both palms while patient being in contralateral side flexion.
20 mins
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Intervention group 1 | Experimental | Patient was in lying position. Therapist placed thumb on the effected side muscke. Then hooked thumb on lateral edge of muscle to apply pressure against the muscle. Took a pause. Thumb flattened in a medial direction and pluck was created in muscle.
Set of 15-20 bowen moves on upper , middle and lower fibres each with 2 mins gap between each set.
Total treatment time: 20 mins Receives: Other: experimental Bowen Technique |
| Experimental interventional group II | Experimental | Patient was in lying position. MFR applied via ulnar border of both palms while patient being in contralateral side flexion.
20 mins Receives: Other: Experimental Myofacial release technique |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neck Disability Index
It is a 10-item questionnaire each them of having 6 possible answers. The score of each item lies between 0 to 5, where 0 means no pain/ limitation in activities) and 5 means 'as much pain as possible or maximal limitation in activities'.[19] Thus the Total scores range between 0 - 50 points.
Measured: 3rd day
Isometric Scapular Pinch Test
In ISPT the patient actively performs maximal scapular retraction and holds it for 2 seconds. If the pain is present after 15-20 seconds or patient fails to hold it then the test is positive.
Measured: 3rd day
Secondary outcomes (8)
Lateral Scapular Slide Test
LSST is a test that assesses the excessive scapular movement with respect to thoracic spine. A total of three measurements are taken in three positions:
From scapular spine to T2/T3 level From Inferior scapular angle to T7/T9 level From superior scapular angle to T2 level. Measurments are taken 3 times in 3 positions
Measured: 3rd day
NPRS
pain is measured with the help of numeric pain rating scale that is 11 point scale from 0-10 with 0 referring no pain and 10 represent max pain.
Measured: 3rd day
Cervical flexion range of motion
The range of motion will be measure by goniometer at baseline, after first day treatment and after 3rd day.
Measured: 3rd day
Cervical extension range of motion
The range of motion will be measure by goniometer at baseline, after first day treatment and after 3rd day.
Measured: 3rd day
Cervical Rt side flexion range of motion
The range of motion will be measure by goniometer at baseline, after first day treatment and after 3rd day.
Measured: 3rd day
Cervical Lt side flexion range of motion
The range of motion will be measure by goniometer at baseline, after first day treatment and after 3rd day.
Measured: 3rd day
Cervical Rt side Rotation range of motion
The range of motion will be measure by goniometer at baseline, after first day treatment and after 3rd day.
Measured: 3rd day
Cervical Lt side Rotation range of motion
The range of motion will be measure by goniometer at baseline, after first day treatment and after 3rd day.
Measured: 3rd day
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Nov 2021
- Study start16 Nov 2021
- Primary completion1 Jan 2022
- Study completion1 Feb 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Trapezius Muscle StrainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Riphah International UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Riphah International University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Aisha Razzaq, MSPT-OMPT, Principal investigator, Riphah International University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05125484
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RiphahIU Zainab Rana
- Status last verified
- Apr 2022
- First submitted
- 8 Nov 2021
- Last updated
- 5 Apr 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Apr 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Comparison Of Bowen's Technique And Myofascial Release Technique On Pain And Disability In Patients With Trapezitis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05125484
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RiphahIU Zainab Rana
- Conditions
- Trapezius Muscle Strain
- Keywords
- Bowen therapy, Myofacial Release Technique, Isometric Scapular pinch test, Lateral Scapular Slide test, NDI
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Riphah International UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 16 Nov 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Feb 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Nov 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of this research is to compare the effects of Bowen's technique and Myofascial Release technique on pain and disability in patients with trapezitis.Randomized controlled trials done at Islamabad Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centre(IPRC) and Benazir Bhutto Hospital. The sample size was 66. The subjects were divided in two groups, 33 subjects in Bowen's Technique group and 33 subjects in Myofascial Release Technique group. Study duration was of 6 months. Sampling technique applied was non probability purposive sampling technique. The patients aged 20-40 years and clinicaly diagnosed with Trapezitis(spasm,trigger points,tenderness,stiffness) were included in the study. Tools used in the study are Cervical ROMs, NPRS, NDI, Isometric Scapular Pinch Test and Lateral Scapular Slide Test.
Detailed description
Trapezitis is a condition that involves inflammation of the trapezius muscle. The upper fibers of trapezius, being the postural muscles, are highly susceptible to overuse injuries and thus the inflammation.This results in pain that is present during the rest, is aggravated with activity and is referred to the other areas. The pain results in protective spasm of the antagonistic muscle group that also restricts the passive range of motion and makes it painful too. In people working for long hours at a desk and computers or spending many hours driving, the low level of upper trapezius activity is frequently found because of head posture during sitting and standing , which is common cause of tension and neck pain in such people.Various recent studies have hypothesized that trapezitis occurs due to muscle tissue overloading and injury, that results in involuntary shortening of localized muscle fibers. The stressed soft tissue area thus receives less glucose, oxygen and nutrients supply; subsequently high levels of metabolic waste products are accumulated. And this cascade of events ends in altered status of tissue, pain and the development of the Trigger points in the muscle.
Myofascial Release(MFR) is a soft tissue mobilization technique that is defined as " the facilitation of mechanical, neural and psycho physiological adaptive potential as interfaced via the myofascial system".MFR decreases the pain and restores the proper alignment by changing the ground substance's viscosity to more fluid state resulting in elimination of excessive pressure of fascia on the pain sensitive structures.
There is one more soft tissue technique called 'Bowen Technique' that is useful and indicated in myofascial pain. The Bowen technique is defined as:
'…dynamic system of muscle and connective tissue therapy which balances the body to allow it to heal itself. The work consists of a series of precise moves on specific points of the body. These moves are light and can be done through clothing. There are frequent and important pauses between each series of moves giving the body time to benefit from each. The technique uses positive moves that initiate a positive energy flow and negative moves that isolate this energy to a specific area' (Rentsch and Rentsch,1997) The Bowen technique was developed by late Tom Bowen in Geelong, Australia in 1950. It is a connective tissue technique that uses subtle inputs called 'Bowen moves' to the body that stimulates the body's self-healing. The Bowen moves applied are in several sets in a complete session of 15-45 minutes duration. While applying the technique, the therapist uses the thumb when the Bowen move is executed away from the patient's body and two fingers are used when the Bowen move is executed towards the patient's body. The technique can be used anywhere on the origin, insertion or the belly of the muscle and produces a physical and an energetic action.
This technique can be used to treat many types acute and chronic injuries and other health issues. It does this by using holistic approach in which body's innate healing mechanism is stimulated. This technique has been recommended in many conditions like headache, cervical pain, back pain, whiplash injury, TMJ dysfunction, herniated disk, tennis elbow, hamstring tightness and frozen shoulder, work related injuries etc.
An RCT was done by Ekta S. Chaudhary, Nehal Shah, Neeta Vyas, Ratan Khuman1, Dhara Chavda1, Gopal Nambi that compared the effectiveness of MFR and cold pack in Upper trapezius Spasm and concluded both MFR and cold pack along with exercises to be effective in upper trapezium muscle spasm but the overall effects of MFR surpassed the cold therapy. Another study by Pooja Mane , Amrutkuvar Pawar , Trupti Warude compared the effects of Myofascial Release technique with Deep Friction Massage on pain and cervical ROM, the results concluded both therapies to bring improvement in pain and cervical ROM but MFR was more effective. Similarly, a systematic review of RCTs was conducted to determine the effectiveness of MFR in decreasing pain , improving function and elongate length and concluded MFR to be emerging strategy with strong evidence base and solid treatment option for many conditions. A study was conducted to compare the effects of MFR with hot pack in reducing pain and improving passive ROM in shoulder joint and that concluded both to be effective but MFR proved to be more favorable because of the less time spent and no need of equipment.
A study has been done to see the effects of Bowen technique as an adjunct therapy to conventional physiotherapy treatment on the pain and functional outcomes in patient with Acute trapezitis and the results established Bowen technique to be effective in decreasing pain and improving functional outcomes in Acute trapezitis.A few studies were conducted that evaluated the effectiveness of Bowen technique in frozen shoulder and concluded this technique as a positive intervention in improving mobility, functional status and decreasing pain. A few studies were conducted that compared the effects of Bowen technique vs MET in treatment of hamstring tightness.And few other worked to establish the effectiveness of Bowen technique in different complex and common conditions and found positive results.A study was done to show Bowen technique to be effective in health service workplace to improve physical as well as mental well-being of the working staff.
This study aims to compare the short term effects of Bowen Technique and MFR on pain and neck disability in patients with trapezitis. Also it intends to study the short term effects of both techniques on scapular motions. Bowen technique is a relatively new technique, having easier application and has been less worked on. So, if this study proves the effectiveness of Bowen technique in comparison with MFR in patient with trapezitis. Further studies can be conducted to evaluate its efficacy as an independent and preferable procedure in treatment of other conditions and further work can be conducted on other areas as well. As this is a holistic technique, so it could be a beneficial addition in the daily clinical practice.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Intervention group 1 | Experimental | Other: experimental Bowen TechniquePatient was in lying position. Therapist placed thumb on the effected side muscke. Then hooked thumb on lateral edge of muscle to apply pressure against the muscle. Took a pause. Thumb flattened in a medial direction and pluck was created in muscle. Set of 15-20 bowen moves on upper , middle and lower fibres each with 2 mins gap between each set. Total treatment time: 20 mins |
| Experimental interventional group II | Experimental | Other: Experimental Myofacial release techniquePatient was in lying position. MFR applied via ulnar border of both palms while patient being in contralateral side flexion. 20 mins |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Both male and female.
- Age 20-40 years.
- Clinically diagnosed with Trapezitis.(Spasm,stiffness,Tenderness,Trigger Points,Taut band)
- Cummulative trauma disorder
- Occupational overuse syndrome
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Any medical conditions or diseases that could interfere with intervention performance.
- Any traumatic neck injury
- Cervical vertebral fracture
- Cervical spinal cord compromise/ cervical myelopathy
- Cervical radiculopathy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| experimental Bowen TechniquePatient was in lying position. Therapist placed thumb on the effected side muscke. Then hooked thumb on lateral edge of muscle to apply pressure against the muscle. Took a pause. Thumb flattened in a medial direction and pluck was created in muscle. Set of 15-20 bowen moves on upper , middle and lower fibres each with 2 mins gap between each set. Total treatment time: 20 mins | Other | Experimental Intervention group 1 |
| Experimental Myofacial release techniquePatient was in lying position. MFR applied via ulnar border of both palms while patient being in contralateral side flexion. 20 mins | Other | Experimental interventional group II |
Primary outcome
Neck Disability Index
Time frame: 3rd day
It is a 10-item questionnaire each them of having 6 possible answers. The score of each item lies between 0 to 5, where 0 means no pain/ limitation in activities) and 5 means 'as much pain as possible or maximal limitation in activities'.[19] Thus the Total scores range between 0 - 50 points.
Isometric Scapular Pinch Test
Time frame: 3rd day
In ISPT the patient actively performs maximal scapular retraction and holds it for 2 seconds. If the pain is present after 15-20 seconds or patient fails to hold it then the test is positive.
8 secondary outcomes
Lateral Scapular Slide Test
Time frame: 3rd day
NPRS
Time frame: 3rd day
Cervical flexion range of motion
Time frame: 3rd day
Cervical extension range of motion
Time frame: 3rd day
Cervical Rt side flexion range of motion
Time frame: 3rd day
Cervical Lt side flexion range of motion
Time frame: 3rd day
Cervical Rt side Rotation range of motion
Time frame: 3rd day
Cervical Lt side Rotation range of motion
Time frame: 3rd day
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Apr 2022.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Trapezius Muscle Strain
Not yet recruiting
Kinesio Taping for Upper Trapezius Myofascial Trigger Points
Myofascial Pain Syndromes, Myofascial Trigger Point Pain
Active, not recruiting
To Compare the Efficacy of Instrument Assisted STM vs BT in Alleviating Pain and Tightness of Trapezius Muscle
Trapezius Muscle Strain
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Aisha Razzaq, MSPT-OMPT principal investigator
Riphah International University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing experimental Bowen Technique and Experimental Myofacial release technique in people with Trapezius Muscle Strain, run by Riphah International University at 1 site in Pakistan.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Apr 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Pakistan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Neck Disability Index (time frame: 3rd day). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Apr 2022.