Effectiveness of muscle energy technique as an adjunct to exercise therapy on pain, disability, cervical mobility, and pressure pain threshold in individuals with chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomised controlled trial Doi: https://doi.org/10.55522/jhpo.V3I5.0116

Abstract

Chronic mechanical neck pain can interfere with daily activities and is commonly accompanied by pain, disability, and restricted cervical movement. Exercise-based rehabilitation is routinely used in its management, while manual techniques such as Muscle Energy Technique (MET) may be used as an additional intervention. To demonstrate the analysis and reporting of a randomized controlled trial comparing MET combined with exercise therapy with exercise therapy alone in individuals with chronic mechanical neck pain. A parallel-group trial was conducted in 60 adults with chronic mechanical neck pain. Participants were randomised in equal numbers to MET combined with exercise therapy (MET+ET) or exercise therapy alone (ET). Both groups received 12 sessions of supervised treatment over 4 weeks. The main outcome was pain intensity, measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Secondary outcomes were the Neck Disability Index (NDI), cervical range of motion (ROM) and pressure pain threshold (PPT). Post-treatment outcomes were compared using ANCOVA adjusted for baseline. The reduction in NPRS was greater in the MET+ET group than in the ET group. The adjusted between-group difference was −0.90 points (95% CI −1.19 to −0.61; p<0.001). The between-group difference of −4.00 points was observed for the NDI (p<0.001). Cervical ROM and PPT also showed greater changes in the MET+ET group. The study concludes that the addition of MET to standardised exercise therapy resulted in greater improvements in pain, disability, cervical ROM, and PPT than exercise therapy alone.