Study Design: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Objective: To investigate the effects of trigger point (TrP) manual therapy combined with a self-stretching program for the management of patients with plantar heel pain. Background: Previous studies have reported that stretching of the calf musculature and the plantar fascia are effective management strategies for plantar heel pain. However, it is not known if the inclusion of soft tissue therapy can further improve the outcomes in this population. Methods: Sixty patients, 15 men and 45 women (mean ± SD age, 44 ± 10 years) with a clinical diagnosis of plantar heel pain were randomly divided into 2 groups: a self-stretching (Str) group who received a stretching protocol, and a self-stretching and soft tissue TrP manual therapy (Str-ST) group who received TrP manual interventions (TrP pressure release and neuromuscular approach) in addition to the same self-stretching protocol. The primary outcomes were physical function and bodily pain domains of the quality of life SF-36 questionnaire. Additionally, pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were assessed over the affected gastrocnemii and soleus muscles, and over the calcaneus, by an assessor blinded to the treatment allocation. Outcomes of interest were captured at baseline and at a 1-month follow-up (end of treatment period). Mixed-model ANOVAs were used to examine the effects of the interventions on each outcome, with group as the between-subjects variable and time as the within-subjects variable. The primary analysis was the group-by-time interaction. Results: The 2 × 2 mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant group-by-time interaction for the main outcomes of the study: physical function (P = .001) and bodily pain (P = .005); patients receiving a combination of self-stretching and TrP tissue intervention experienced a greater improvement in physical function and a greater reduction in pain, as compared to those receiving the self-stretching protocol. The mixed ANOVA also revealed significant group-by-time interactions for changes in PPT over the gastrocnemii and soleus muscles, and the calcaneus (all P<.001). Patients receiving a combination of self-stretching and TrP tissue intervention showed a greater improvement in PPT, as compared to those who received only the self-stretching protocol. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the addition of TrP manual therapies to a self-stretching protocol resulted in superior short-term outcomes as compared to a self-stretching program alone in the treatment of patients with plantar heel pain. Level of Evidence: Therapy, level 1b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2011;41(2):43–50. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.3504

Objective. To investigate the difference in the presence of trigger points (TrPs) between patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP) and hea

The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects of mobilization with movement (MWM) to a sham technique in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. A randomized controlled trial was performed. Forty-two patients (mean ± SD age, 55 ± 9 years; 81% female) satisfied eligibility criteria, agreed to participate, and were randomized into an MWM group (n = 21) or sham manual contact (n = 21). The primary outcome measures including pain intensity, pain during active range of motion, and maximal active range of motion were assessed by a clinician blinded to group allocation. Outcomes were captured at baseline and after 2 weeks of MWM treatment or sham intervention. The primary analysis was the group × time interaction. The 2×2 analysis of variance revealed a significant group × time interaction for pain intensity during shoulder flexion (F = 7.054; P = .011), pain-free shoulder flexion (F = 32.853; P < .001), maximum shoulder flexion (F = 18.791; P < .01), and shoulder external rotation (F = 7.950; P < .01) in favor of the MWM group. No other significant differences were found. Patients with shoulder impingement syndrome who received 4 sessions of MWM exhibited significantly better outcomes for pain during shoulder flexion, pain-free range of shoulder flexion, maximal shoulder flexion, and maximal external rotation than those patients who were in the sham group.

The objectives of this study were to investigate if referred pain elicited by active trigger points (TrPs) reproduced the symptoms in individuals with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine the relationship between the presence of active TrPs, intensity of ongoing pain, function, quality of life, and sleep quality in individuals with painful knee OA. Eighteen women with bilateral painful knee OA, aged 79 to 90 years, and 18 matched controls participated. Muscle TrPs were bilaterally explored in several muscles of the lower extremity. Trigger points were considered active if the elicited referred pain reproduced knee symptoms, and TrPs were considered latent if the elicited pain did not reproduce symptoms. Pain was collected with a numerical pain rate scale (0-10), function was assessed with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities, quality of life was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 questionnaire, and sleep quality was determined with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Women with knee OA exhibited a greater number of active TrPs (mean, 1 ± 1; P < .001) but similar number of latent TrPs (mean, 4 ± 2) than healthy women (mean, 4 ± 3; P = .613). A greater number of active TrPs were associated with higher intensity of ongoing pain (r = 0.605; P = .007). Higher intensity of ongoing knee pain was associated with lower physical function (P < .05). The referred pain elicited by active TrPs in the lower extremity muscles contributed to pain symptoms in painful knee OA. A higher number of active TrPs was associated with higher intensity of ongoing knee pain.

Low back pain (LBP) could be influenced by socio-cultural factors. Pain narratives are important to understand the influence of environment on patients with chronic LBP. There are few studies that have explored the experience of patients with chronic LBP in different socio-cultural environments. The aim of this study was to describe the experience of patients with chronic LBP in Spain and Brazil. A qualitative phenomenology approach was implemented. Chronic LBP patients from the University Hospital of Salamanca (Spain), and/or Federal University of São Carlos (Brazil) were included, using purposeful sampling. Data were collected from 22 Spanish and 26 Brazilian patients during in-depth interviews and using researchers’ field notes and patients' personal diaries and letters. A thematic analysis was performed and the guidelines for reporting qualitative research were applied. Forty-eight patients with a mean age of 50.7 years (SD: ± 13.1 years) were included in the study. The themes identified included: a) ways of perceiving and expressing pain—the participants focused constantly on their pain and anything outside it was considered secondary; b) the socio-familial environment as a modulator of pain—most participants stated that no one was able to understand the pain they were experiencing; c) religion as a modulator of pain—all Brazilian patients stated that religious belief affected the experience of pain; and d) socio-economic and educational status as a modulator of pain—the study reported that economic factors influenced the experience of pain. The influences of LBP can be determined based on the how a patient defines pain. Religion can be considered as a possible mechanism for patients to manage pain and as a form of solace.

Our aims were to identify potential differences in muscle mechanical properties (MMPs) of cervical and lumbar tissues and in spinal range of motion (ROM) between patients with acute low back pain (LBP) or acute neck pain (NP) and healthy controls, and to identify if ROMs and MMPs are able to identify subjects among the three groups. Clinical variables (pain, disability, fear of movement, kinesiophobia, quality of life), MMPs and ROMs were obtained in 33 subjects with acute LBP, 33 with acute NP, and 33 healthy control subjects. Between-groups differences and explanatory models to discriminate groups depending on MMPs and ROMs were calculated. The results showed that cervical tone was higher in patients with acute NP than in controls, while cervical decrement was higher in both spinal pain groups. Patients with acute NP showed reduced cervical flexion when compared to acute LBP and control groups, and also cervical rotation, but just against controls. Furthermore, lumbar flexion was reduced in patients with acute LBP when compared to those with acute NP. Cervical decrement was able to discriminate spinal pain individuals from controls in a multinominal regression (R²: Cox–Snell estimation = 0.533; Nagelkerke estimation = 0.600). Lumbar flexion differentiated patients with acute LBP and controls, whereas cervical flexion differentiated patients with acute NP and controls. This study supports a tendency of the affectation of other spinal regions when only one is affected.