Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 171-181, April 2009

Muscular load to the therapist's shoulder during three alternative techniques for trigger point therapy

  • Emily Kristen Smith, B. Physiotherapy [Hons]

      Affiliations

    • School of Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, South Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel./fax:+61885362923.
    web address
    • ,
  • Mary Magarey, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • School of Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, South Australia
    • ,
  • Steve Argue, M. Physio, Manip Physio

      Affiliations

    • School of Physiotherapy, Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, South Australia
    • ,
  • Shapour Jaberzadeh, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • School of Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Peninsula Campus Building B, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia

Received 7 December 2006; received in revised form 1 July 2007; accepted 10 July 2007.

Summary 

Aim

To compare the muscular load (level of muscle activity) to the shoulder during alternative approaches to trigger point therapy (TPT).

Method

Massage therapy students (n=7) applied a predetermined level of force to an artificial contact surface. Changes in five pairs of superficial shoulder muscles (indicated by surface electromyography) were recorded while the student performed the single-arm technique (SAT), the double-arm technique (DAT) and the treatment-tool technique (TTT) using TriggerMate™, a new treatment tool.

Results

For the contact arm, muscle activity was significantly decreased using the TTT compared to the SAT (p<0.05) but was not significantly different between the TTT and DAT. For the non-contact arm, none of the test techniques led to significant differences in muscle activity.

Conclusions

While there is evidence that the TTT decreases the muscular load to the shoulder of the contact arm, there is no indication of where this load is redistributed.

Keywords: Trigger point therapy, Shoulder, Muscle load, Surface electromyography, Treatment tool

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PII: S1360-8592(07)00081-2

doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2007.07.004

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 171-181, April 2009

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