Published Paper Details:

BACKGROUND: The neck pain involving the upper trapezius mostly is the result of repetitive movement or constant holding of the neck in a fixed position for longer period. Due to which the upper trapezius develops tightness and results in reduced range of motion and ultimately developing neck pain. AIM: To compare the immediate effects of the muscle energy technique (MET) and myofascial release (MFR) technique on upper trapezius muscle in individuals with neck pain. METHOD: 74 patients with neck pain, aged between 20 years and 40 years in 2 groups as Group A (n=37) and Group B (n=37). Patients were evaluated at baseline and immediately after the intervention on the basis of NPRS and Cervical Goniometry. RESULT: Patients in both the groups did not have any significant difference in the baseline characteristic data (p>0.05). Following the treatment both the groups showed significant decrease in the pain and improvement in the cervical range of motion. In comparison between the two groups there was no statistical significance which showed that both the intervention techniques are individually effective on neck pain. CONCLUSION: The study showed improvements in reduction of pain and improvements in cervical range of motion in both groups, which suggest that use of MFR and MET can be implemented individually to reduce neck pain involving upper trapezius and have shown no harmful effects in any individual. But, Statistical significant difference was not found between both groups- group A and group B in the post intervention pain intensity and cervical range of motion.