The Effects of Active Range of Motion with Overpressure on the Fascia Displacement of the Upper Trapezius Muscle among Individuals With and Without Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Retrospective Case-Control Study Protocol

Background : Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS) is a persistent pain on the shoulders and cervical spine related to limitation of motion (LOM), muscle weakness, and loss of function. It is a cumulative, repetitive injury causing disability among the middle-aged working population. This study will determine the differences in upper trapezius' superficial and deep fascia displacements among participants with and without MPS based on the effects of cervical active range of motion (AROM). Methods : This is a retrospective records review study with two interlinked parts. In the reliability study, the Tracker will determine the physiotherapy interns' intertester and intratester reliability in assessing the musculoskeletal ultrasound videos. Using MedCalc Software and the Bland-Altman plot, the single measures ICC will determine the reliability. In determining clinically acceptable use of the Tracker, a <0.40 cut-off reliability will be used. In the case-control study, physiotherapy interns will assess 2,904 musculoskeletal ultrasound videos. The difference between the superficial and deep fascia displacements will be determined using paired t-test and the mean differences using an independent t-test. A significant difference between groups will be determined using a p -value of <0.05. Expected Results : This study expects that cervical AROM with overpressure will displace the superficial and deep fascia of the upper trapezius, particularly among patients with MPS. Proving the correlation between LOM and altered fascia displacement will help rehabilitation professionals create new manual therapy techniques and emphasize the use of existing fascia-related treatments.