A Comparative Study of Muscle Energy Technique and Cross Body Stretch for Improving Posterior Shoulder Tightness and Pain in Patients with Shoulder Pain - A Randomised Controlled Study

Abstract

Introduction: Shoulder pain involves one of the impairments of posterior shoulder tightness. The posterior shoulder tightness can be determined by measuring shoulder horizontal adduction, also by internal rotation and low flexion range of motion and extension. There are several conditions which contribute to posterior shoulder tightness -rotator cuff tendinopathy, impingement, adhesive capsulitis and labral lesions. It has been found out that muscles like deltoid and rotator cuff also contribute to posterior shoulder tightness, so stretching the capsule as well as muscles, along with the conventional treatment will help in restoration of normal range of motion at the shoulder joint. Aim:The aim of the study is to see the effect of muscle energy technique and cross body stretch in patients with shoulder pain for improving the posterior shoulder tightness and pain and to compare the effects of both the techniques. Methodology:The study was conducted on 65 subjects who were diagnosed with rotator cuff related shoulder pain, adhesive capsulitis, labral lesions and who met the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. Subjects were divided into 2 groups, Group 1 subjects received Muscle Energy Technique along with the conventional treatment and group 2 subjects received Cross-Body Stretch along with the conventional treatment. Outcome measures were shoulder horizontal adduction range of motion via a goniometer and pain on numeric pain rating scale.Result: Data was collected at the baseline and at the end of 4 weeks intervention for both the groups. The data collected was check for normality. For normally distributed data, paired t-test was applied for shoulder horizontal range of motion (p-value>0.231) and Mann-Whitney test is applied for pain (p>0.608). Conclusion:Both the types of techniques were equally effective for treating posterior shoulder tightness.