A Study of 45 Patients with Chronic Neck Pain to Compare the Effects on Pain and Disability of 4 Weeks of Physical Therapy with the Active Release Technique and Strain-Counterstrain Manipulation with Massage Alone, Before and After Treatment

BACKGROUND: Active release technique (ART) and strain-counterstrain (SCS) have been reported to be beneficial for patients with trigger point pain. Therefore, this study of 45 patients with chronic neck pain aimed to compare the effects of 4 weeks of physical therapy with the ART and SCS manipulation with massage alone, evaluated before and after treatment, using the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the neck disability index (NDI), and the pressure pain threshold (PPT). MATERIAL/METHODS: The participants were 45 adults with neck pain lasting >12 weeks, divided into the ART group (n=15), SCS group (n=15), and control group (n=15). All groups received clinical massage (CM) for 15 min twice a week for 4 weeks. The control group received only CM, the ART group received CM and ART for 15 min twice a week for 4 weeks, and the SCS group received CM and SCS for 15 min twice a week for 4 weeks. VAS, NDI, and PPT were measured before and after the interventions. RESULTS: In all groups, there were significant changes in VAS, NDI, and PPT after the interventions (P<0.05), and there was a significant difference among groups in the difference before and after intervention (P<0.05). VAS and NDI showed the greatest difference among before and after intervention in the ART group (VAS pre-post 3.38±0.76, NDI pre-post 5.69±2.78). PPT showed the greatest difference among before and after intervention in the SCS group (PPT pre-post 1.75±0.62). CONCLUSIONS: The ART technique and the SCS technique effectively reduced neck pain and neck disorders in adults with chronic neck pain.