The Effect Of Stretching Exercise on Pectoralis Minor Myofascial Latent Trigger Points

Summary

This randomised-controlled trial investigates whether a single intervention of manual pressure release combined with stretching exercise has an effect on muscle length, pain perception threshold, and respiratory function in subjects with latent myofascial trigger point in the pectoralis minor muscle or not. First quarter of the participants will receive a single intervention of manual pressure release combined with contract-relax PNF stretching exercise of pectoralis minor muscle, second quarter of the participants will receive a single intervention of manual pressure release combined with Z stretching exercise of pectoralis minor muscle while, only a single intervention of manual pressure release will be applied to third quarter of the participants and final quarter of them will not receive any intervention.

Conditions

• Myofascial Trigger Point Pain

Interventions

OTHER

Manual pressure release

Subjects will be positioned supine on a treatment plinth and will be encouraged to relax as much as possible before pressure is applied. A slow pressure to myofascial latent trigger point will be applied directly over the marked pectoralis minor muscle myofascial latent trigger point site until a moderate but tolerable pain value of 7 out of 10 (0= no pain, 10= severe pain) is reported. Constant pressure will be sustained for 90 seconds if the subjects report that the pain is decreased to a value of 3, the pressure will be increased to restore perceived pain to the value of 7. Then, tissue resistance (barrier) in pectoralis minor muscle will be controlled.

OTHER

Contract-relax PNF stretch

Subjects will be in a sitting position with hands being clasped behind the head. The pectoralis minor muscle will be passively and slowly stretched until a strong but tolerable stretch discomfort intensity level of 4 out of 10 (0= no pain, 10= severe pain) is reported. Passive stretch will be sustained for 10 seconds followed by 6 seconds of maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the pectoralis minor muscle. Then, subjects will be instructed to relax for further 4 seconds. Subjects will maintain newly active stretched position of pectoralis minor muscle for 10 seconds with a strong but tolerable stretch discomfort intensity level of 4 out of 10. The procedure will be repeated four times with 30 seconds of rest between two successive trials.

OTHER

Z-stretch

Subjects will be positioned supine with knee bent on a treatment plinth, and the legs will be rotated to the opposite direction of the arm to be stretched placing a stabilizing distal tension on the ribs. Then, the subjects will be slowly brought the arm in a circular motion overhead pausing at the points of tightness, maintaining close contact to the treatment table until a strong but tolerable stretch discomfort intensity level of 4 out of 10 (0= no pain, 10= severe pain) is reported. Self-stretch of pectoralis minor muscle, including myofascial latent trigger points will be sustained for 30 seconds. The procedure will be repeated four times with 30 seconds of rest between two successive trials.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Tansu Birinci, PT · Research Assistant

• Ebru Kaya Mutlu, PhD, PT · Lecturer

• Rustem Mustafaoglu, MSc, PT · Research Assistant

• Arzu Razak Ozdincler, Prof. Dr · Professor

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-04-01

Primary Completion

2017-05-16

Completion

2017-07-11

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations