Which muscles exhibit increased stiffness in people with chronic neck pain? A systematic review with meta-analysis

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

Sports and Active Living

Manca Opara¹  Žiga Kozinc² 

[1] Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia;Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia;Department of Health Studies, Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia;

关键词: chronic neck pain;    shear modulus;    elastography;    myotonometry;    upper trapezius;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fspor.2023.1172514

 received in 2023-02-23, accepted in 2023-08-18,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionChronic neck pain (CNP) substantially impacts quality of life, posing both personal challenges and economic strains. This systematic review sought to discern muscle-specific stiffness differences between CNP patients and individuals without CNP.MethodsWe searched the PubMed, Scopus, and PEDro databases for studies using ultrasound elastography or myotonometry to compare muscle stiffness between CNP patients and asymptomatic controls. Using a meta-analysis with a random-effects model, we derived the pooled effect as standardized mean difference (SMD).ResultsOut of the six studies selected, the adjusted Newcastle-Ottawa rating scale for cross-sectional studies denoted three as moderate-quality and three as high-quality. Our findings indicate that the upper trapezius (UT) stiffness was elevated in CNP patients compared to their counterparts without CNP (SMD = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.74; p = 0.03; small effect size). The data for other muscles remained inconclusive.DiscussionGiven the case-control design of all reviewed studies, a direct causative link between UT stiffness and CNP is yet to be confirmed. As such, recommending a reduction in trapezius muscle stiffness as a primary rehabilitation strategy for CNP patients is still inconclusive and further research is needed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© 2023 Opara and Kozinc.