Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Versus Trigger Points Release on Upper Trapezius Trigger Points

Patient sat on a chair. The therapist stood behind the participant and held one hand over head as the support, with the thumb of the other hand scan to detect the painful area of the latent TP of the upper trapezius muscle along the fibers. Then, pressure was applied by the thumb and the participant was asked to simultaneously actively change the muscle from shorted position to elongated state (ipsilateral side flexion of the cervical to the opposite side). This technique was repeated 3-5 times per session, and each repetition was maintained for 40-60 s till release is felt, with a 15-second rest interval. Three times passive stretching of the upper trapezius muscle was also performed for 45 s for each side.

Patient lied prone; the treatment was applied for approximately 20-seconds in a direction parallel to the muscle fibers with the instrument at a 45º angle. Followed immediately by treating the muscles in a direction perpendicular to the muscle fibers with the instrument at a 45º angle for an additional 20-second, resulting in a total treatment time of approximately 40 s. This technique was applied 3-5 times per session with 20 s rest between each time. Three times passive stretching of the upper trapezius muscle was also performed for 45 s for each side.