The effect of manual therapy and muscle electrostimulation on upper back myaofascial muscle pain in physically active individuals.

Neilas Zagorskis. The effect of manual therapy and muscle electrostimulation on upper back myaofascial muscle pain in physically active individuals. Master‘s thesis. Supervisor – doc. dr. Laimonas Šiupšinskas. Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medical Academy, Faculty of Nursing, Clinic of Sports medicine. Kaunas, 2019; 61 p. The aim of the study: to evaluate the effect of manual therapy and muscle electrostimulation on upper back myofascial muscle pain in physically active individuals. Work tasks: 1. Evaluate and compare the intensity of pain before and after manual therapy and muscle electrostimulation. 2. Evaluate and compare the change in pressure pain threshold before and after manual therapy and muscle electrostimulation. 3. Evaluate and compare the electrical conductivity of muscle before and after manual therapy and muscle electrostimulation. 4. Compare the results between affected and Control groups after study. Participants and methodology: study involved 30 physically active persons of working age with myofascial upper back pain and latent or active trigger point in upper trapezius muscle. All participants were randomly assigned into three groups of 10 persons (TENS, AM, Kontrolinė) and tested three times: before study, after intervention, after study. Algometer was used to evaluate pressure pain threshold, the intensity of pain was measured with SAS and electrostimulator was used to evaluate the electrical conductivity of muscle. SPSS was used for statistical data analysis. Conclusions: 1. The pain intensity has significantly decreased after electrostimulation and manual therapy 2. The pressure pain threshold has significantly increased after electrostimulation and manual therapy. 3. The electrical conductivity of the muscle has significantly increased after electrostimulation and manual therapy. 4. The change in the outcome of the affected groups was significantly greater than that of the Control group