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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05226611

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

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Counterstrain MyotonPRO Tender Points

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine

Glen Head, New York, 11545, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Counterstrain

Other

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain level

    Time frame: 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.

    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.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Muscle Stiffness

    Time frame: 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.

    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.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

New York Institute of Technology

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Feb 7, 2022
Registry last updated
Feb 7, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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