Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: May | Volume: 8 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 148-155
Myofascial Trigger Points in the Shoulder Girdle Muscles in Subjects With and Without Periarthritis Shoulder – A Comparative Study
Papia Paul1, Shaswat Verma2
1Consultant Physiotherapist, Bangalore, India,
2Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, Ramaiah Medical College and Hospitals, Bangalore, India,
Corresponding Author: Shaswat Verma
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Periarthritis Shoulder is a common condition characterized by the spontaneous onset of pain, progressive restriction of movement of the shoulder and disability. These individuals with PA shoulder tend to have altered postural mechanism and to overcome this improper posture they use accessory muscles which lead to pain and development of trigger points. MTrPs in subscapularis and other shoulder musculature could be responsible for the restriction in ROM and pain in the individuals with PA shoulder. Therefore the aim of the study is to determine the presence of MTrPs in the various shoulder and scapular muscles in the patients diagnosed with unilateral PA shoulder.
Method: 23 subjects in each group of PA shoulder and Non-PA shoulder were recruited. Seven muscles around the shoulder girdle were palpated in specific position for MTrPs. Pressure algometer was used to quantify the pain pressure in these muscles and was compared with the contralateral/unaffected side.
Results: The median of the total number of MTrPs in the subjects with PA shoulder and without PA shoulder was 6 and 4 respectively. The MTrPs in deltoid and subscapularis muscles were found to be significant with p ≤ 0.01 and 0.006 respectively.
Conclusion: The presence of MTrPs is frequent in the individuals with or without PA shoulder but the total numbers was significantly high in the individuals with PA shoulder when compared to Non-PA. MTrPs in deltoid and subscapularis muscles are more prevalent than all other muscles.
Key words: Periarthritis shoulder, Myofascial trigger points, Manual palpation, Pain pressure threshold, Pressure algometer.