Effectiveness of a Massage Instrument Compared to Placebo for Upper Trapezius Muscle Pain

Anglo-European College of Chiropractic

Status: Completed

Conditions: Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Treatments: Device: FascialEdge instrument; Other: Placebo electric point stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01167036

AECC 20091

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study was to determine if using a specialized massage tool was more effective than a placebo treatment in relieving pain in the upper trapezius muscle along the top of the shoulder.

Full description

The purpose of the study was to determine if a statistically significant and clinically meaningful difference exits between the FascialEdge tool and placebo in the treatment of latent upper trapezius trigger points.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 64 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• male or female
• between 18-64 years of age
• a latent trigger point of the upper trapezius muscle

Exclusion criteria

• an active trigger point of the upper trapezius muscle
• rash or infection of the skin over the trigger point
• neck pain
• taking anticoagulant drugs
• spontaneous bleeding
• long term corticosteroid use

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

50 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

FascialEdge tool

Experimental group

Description:

A massage tool used to loosen adhesions in the superficial fascia

Treatment:

Device: FascialEdge instrument

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Detuned electric point stimulation over the upper trapezius trigger point

Treatment:

Other: Placebo electric point stimulation