The Effects of Myofascial Release Technique on Depression Following Pain Reduction in a Depressive Patient Suffering from Frozen Shoulder: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction Chronic pain and depression are known to interact, possibly through common neurotransmitters and pathways. Frozen shoulder is among the most debilitating musculoskeletal disorders, with a prevalence of 2–5%. Managing one of these disorders may induce dramatic effects on the other. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of myofascial release on the attenuation of depression following pain reduction in a patient with depression and frozen shoulder. Case report/Method A 49-year-old woman with a history of depression for the previous 6 years was referred to us with a diagnosis of left side frozen shoulder. Initial range of shoulder flexion and abduction were 95 and 80 degrees respectively, and pain intensity on a visual analog scale was 10/10. Debilitating pain disturbed her sleep. Muscle weakness was documented with manual muscle testing. The myofascial release technique for the serratus anterior was applied in 5 sessions. Results Shoulder pain was considerably attenuated and range of motion improved notable following treatment. The patient’s Beck Depression Inventory score improved by15 points. Discussion These improvements might be attributed to the interrelationship between pain and depression.

Efficacy of myofascial therapy and kinesitherapy in improving function in shoulder pathology with prolonged immobilization: A randomized, single-blind, controlled trial

“…These include reduced inflammation, improved blood flow, changes in basal metabolism, pain, and others. Although these variables have not been measured in this study, they have been evidenced previously [16]- [18], [30] and would add advantages that would reaffirm the application of this technique over other traditional techniques.…”

“…When applying the myofascial technique, we found an increase in joint mobility and a decrease in pain in these muscle groups. In the literature, results are also found in the levator scapulae [34] and serratus anterior [30].…”

“…The scales used in this work are also commonly used in many other studies, especially pain and PROM, which were the variables most measured and with the highest rates of improvement in the post-tests [7], [15], [30]. There are very few articles that assess functionality in shoulder pathology treated with MI, specifically, Naik and his team [35] compared kinesiotape with myofascial release applied to the shoulder of badminton players, finding that pain (measured with VAS) decreased more in the myofascial therapy group, while there was no significant difference in functionality (measured with the DASH questionnaire) between the groups.…”