Vol. 8, Issue 10, Part A (2022)

Background: Trapezius muscle pain and spasm is most common musculoskeletal disorder occurring in individuals who works with an awkward position of neck for a prolonged period of time, with repetitive movements. The problem of neck disorders has been found to increase with years of employment as a sewing machine operator. Active Release Therapy (ART) and Myofascial Release (MFR) are soft tissue manipulation techniques practiced by physiotherapists for reducing muscle spasm and pain.

Objective: To compare the immediate effects of ART and MFR on neck pain and range of motion in sewing machine operators with mechanical neck pain.

Method: The study was done on 60 subjects, subjects were selected according to the inclusion criteria. They were divided into two groups Group A (ART) and Group B(MFR) 30 each. Goniometer for cervical ROM and Numerical Pain Rating Scale were taken as outcome measure. Pre and Post ROM and NPRS were taken. The data was recorded and data analysis was done.

Result: Paired t-test was used to compare the pre-post outcome differences within each group, while unpaired t-test was used to compare the post-post differences between the two groups for the same outcome measures. Immediate effects was found in both the groups, but the group which received ART showed significant improvements in neck ROM (p<0.001), and in VAS (p<0.0001) as compared to group which received MFR.

Conclusion: The present study conducted has shown that ART is more effective in reducing pain and improving cervical ROM in sewing machine operators with neck pain as compared to MFR.