The Effect of Counterstrain Technique on Muscle Stiffness and Pain on Trapezius Tender Points in Medical Students

Tender Points Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Effect of Counterstrain Technique on Muscle Stiffness and Pain on Trapezius Tender Points in Medical Students

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05226611
• Other study ID #: #BHS-1561
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 10, 2021
• Est. completion date: April 14, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: January 2022
• Source: New York Institute of Technology
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Medical students are prone to developing neck pain due to prolonged studying and poor posture. This can manifest as tender points in the upper trapezius region. Counterstrain (CS) is an osteopathic manipulative technique that has shown efficacy in previous studies in treating tender points. The MyotonPRO is a myotonometric device that can be used to measure various muscle parameters such as muscle stiffness. There is limited research regarding the use of osteopathic manipulative medicine to produce measurable changes in muscle stiffness by the MyotonPRO. This educational study aims to establish the efficacy of CS technique in decreasing the pain level of upper trapezius tender points in medical students as well as determining if CS causes a significant decrease in muscle stiffness in treated tender points as measured by the MyotonPRO. The investigators hope this educational study will encourage further studies on how osteopathic manipulative techniques affects the physiologic parameters of muscles.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 27
• Est. completion date: April 14, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: April 14, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: N/A and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subject is at least 18 years of age

Exclusion Criteria:

• Traumatized (sprained or strained) tissues, which would be negatively affected by the positioning of the patient

• Illness or other conditions in which strict positional restrictions preclude treatment

• Instability of the area being positioned that has the potential to produce unwanted neurologic or vascular side effects

• Vascular or neurologic syndromes, such as basilar insufficiency or neural foraminal compromise whereby the position of treatment has the potential to exacerbate the condition

• Severe degenerative spondylosis with local fusion and no motion at the level where treatment positioning would normally take place

• Pregnancy

• Positive for COVID-19 as well as symptoms indicating a SARS-CoV-2 infection

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Tender Points

Intervention

Other:
• Counterstrain
Counterstrain is a hands-on OMM technique that involves shortening the muscle to resolve the dysfunctional muscle stretch reflex and holding it for 90 seconds. The patient is then brought back to a neutral position and reassessed.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine	Glen Head	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
New York Institute of Technology

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Pain level	Pain level of the tender point as rated by the test subject out of a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being very little pain and 10 being the most pain the test subject has ever felt.	This was done immediately before and immediately after counterstrain treatment. Counterstrain treatment is a hands-on osteopathic manipulative technique that involves shortening the muscle belly of the painful region.
Secondary	Muscle Stiffness	Muscle stiffness measured by the MyotonPRO, a myotonometric device that applies a brief mechanical impulse to the targeted muscle, used to measure physiologic parameters such as muscle stiffness.	This was done immediately before and immediately after counterstrain treatment. Counterstrain treatment is a hands-on osteopathic manipulative technique that involves shortening the muscle belly of the painful region.