Ischemic compression associated with joint mobilization does not promote additional clinical effects in individuals with rotator cuff related shoulder pain: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to verify which are the additional effects of the ischemic compression (IC) technique associated with joint mobilization techniques on pain, morphological aspects of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), function, and psychological aspects in individuals with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP). METHODS: Sixty individuals with RCRSP were randomly allocated intervention sessions the Mobilization Group (MG, n = 20), only joint mobilizations of the shoulder complex; intervention sessions Compression Group (CG, n = 20), with the same mobilizations associated with the IC over MTrPs; and Placebo Group (PG, n = 20), with the same mobilizations associated with placebo of IC. All interventions performed 2 per week, for 6-weeks. Pain was assessed by Visual Analogue Scale and function by the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire. The kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, perception of improvement, mobility, pain threshold and area the MTrPs were also evaluated at baseline (week-0), after 6-weeks and after 10-weeks. RESULTS: There were no between-group difference in pain: CG-MG 0.8 (95% CI 0.4 to 1.2), CG-PG 0.5 (95% CI 0.0 to 0.9), MG-PG -0.3 (95% CI -0.8 to 0.1) after 6-weeks and CG-MG 0.1 (95% CI -0.2 to 0.5), CG-PG -0.7 (95% CI -0.9 to -0,4), MG-PG -0,8 (95% CI -1.07 to 0.5) at 10-weeks. Similar effects were observed on function, characteristics of MTrPs and psychological aspects. CONCLUSION: The IC technique on the MTrPs of the upper trapezius muscle associated with joint mobilization techniques has no additional effect on pain in individuals with RCRSP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: RBR-44v8y7.

Interrater and Intrarater Reliability and Minimum Detectable Change of Ultrasound for Active Myofascial Trigger Points in Upper Trapezius Muscle in Individuals With Shoulder Pain.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the interrater and intrarater reliability of ultrasound and the minimum detectable change (MDC) for the trigger points (TrPs) active in the upper trapezius (UT) muscle in individuals with shoulder pain. METHODS: Forty individuals with shoulder pain were investigated for the presence of active TrPs in the UT muscle by means of ultrasound for the parameters of gray scale, muscle thickness of UT muscle at rest, and contraction and area of TrPs. The intrarater reliability was performed on 2 days, and interrater reliability on the same day. For the gray scale, the reliability was evaluated using the kappa coefficient (κ), while the other parameters were measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and MDC. RESULTS: For the gray scale, the intrarater agreement was almost perfect (κ = 1.00) and the interrater agreement was substantial (κ = 0.75). The intrarater and interrater reliability were excellent for most of the parameters, except for the area of TrPs (intrarater: ICC = 0.71, substantial; interrater: ICC = 0.52, substantial). The MDC for intrarater reliability varied between 0.04 and 0.05 (SEM% between 2.4% and 38.87%), and that for interrater reliability ranged from 0.05 to 0.07 (SEM% between 3.18% and 55.10%), with a higher value for area. CONCLUSION: Parameters such as gray scale, resting muscle thickness, and muscle contraction of the UT muscle, obtained through ultrasound, showed excellent intrarater and interrater reliability with low SEM%. The intrarater and interrater reliability for the area deserves a caveat regarding their use.

The Effectiveness of Ischemic Compression Technique on Pain and Function in Individuals With Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review current literature to determine the effectiveness of the ischemic compression (IC) technique on pain and function in individuals with shoulder pain. METHODS: This review was conducted according to recommendations of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Cochrane Collaboration for Systematic Reviews; a search was performed in the electronic databases PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SPORTDiscus, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Web of Science. Randomized clinical trials and quasi-randomized clinical trials were included, and the methodological quality was evaluated through the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. RESULTS: The search found 572 studies; of these, 71 were selected by title and, subsequently, 29 were selected through abstract analyses. After critical analyses, 5 studies were included. The methodological quality ranged from 4 (reasonable) to 9 (excellent) points. Pain was assessed by all studies using the visual analog scale, Global Perceived Effect scale, Numerical Rating Scale, pressure pain threshold, or Perceived Amelioration Numerical Scale. Function was evaluated by 3 studies through the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index; Neck Disability Index; American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment; and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaires. The studies showed that the IC technique produces immediate and short-term positive effects for pain, and positive short-term effects for shoulder function in individuals with shoulder pain. CONCLUSION: The IC technique seems to be beneficial for pain and shoulder function. However, caution is needed when considering this evidence owing to the limited quality of some studies, the few articles found, and the lack of standardization of the application parameters of the technique to facilitate its reproducibility.