Effectiveness of myofascial release for adults with chronic neck pain: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Every second human will experience a phase of neck pain in their lifetime and a high rate of chronicity exists. Because of the complexity and multiple influencing factors, chronic pain conditions are associated with a long treatment and diagnostic process. This leads to a prolonged healing process and high costs.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of myofascial release on the variables of pain and range of motion in patients with chronic neck pain.

METHOD: Selection criteria were set to create a search algorithm for a systematic search in the databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, EBM Reviews, Medline, CINAHL, PEDro, and Science Direct. The risk of bias and the methodological quality was analyzed with the PEDro scale.

RESULT: Ten randomized controlled trials, with 549 participants met the eligibility criteria. The methodological quality was ranked from good to excellent. The myofascial release showed a significant difference in pain (p =  0.03), rotation to the right (p =  0.05), and lateral flexion to the right (p =  0.04), compared to other treatment methods. No significant effect was found for improvements in pressure pain threshold.

CONCLUSION

Modest effects are observed in pain reduction, suggesting potential benefits of myofascial release in managing chronic neck pain. Further research with standardized protocols and direct comparisons to established therapies is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of myofascial release efficacy.

CONTRIBUTION OF THE PAPER: What does the meta-analysis add to the current literature.