Background: Neck pain is a major health problem in developed countries and has a lifetime prevalence of 50%. Major problems include a reduced cervical range of motion, muscle stiffness, dysfunction, postural changes, and decrease in psychosocial level. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying the upper trapezius inhibition dynamic taping to patients with chronic neck pain on their neck pain, functional level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck posture. Methods: The study design was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 40 patients with neck pain participated in this study and were randomly assigned to a Dynamic Taping group (n = 20) or Sham Taping group (n = 20). In both groups, basic intervention cervical pain control therapy and shoulder stabilization exercise program were performed. In addition, dynamic taping and sham taping were applied to participants in the Dynamic Taping and Sham Taping groups to inhibit the trapezius muscle, respectively. All interventions were performed three times a week and a total of 12 times for 4 weeks, and the participants’ neck pain, functional impairment level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck posture were measured and compared before and after the intervention. Results: Both groups showed significant differences in neck pain, functional level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck postural before and after the intervention (p < 0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences between the two groups regarding the functional level and neck posture (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Inhibition dynamic taping of the upper trapezius muscle suppression is an effective method with clinical significance in reducing pain in individuals with chronic neck pain and improving the functional level, cervical range of motion, psychosocial level, and neck posture.

Background: Scapular posterior tilt (SPT) is important in the prevention of abnormal scapular movement and pain during elevation of the arm. However, previous studies have overlooked increased upper trapezius (UT) muscle activity interrupting the normal force couple of scapular motion and compensation of levator scapulae (LS) muscle activated simultaneously with UT during SPT exercise. Objects: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of modified SPT with depression exercise versus SPT exercise on serratus anterior (SA), lower trapezius (LT), UT, and LS muscle activities and the clavicular tilt angle, in subjects with rounded shoulder posture (RSP) and myofascial pain in the UT muscle region. Methods: Eighteen subjects with RSP were recruited and randomly allocated to 2 groups; 9 in the SPT group and 9 in the SPT with depression group. All subjects met the specific RSP criteria and had myofascial pain of UT region. Depending on the allocated group, subjects performed the assigned SPT exercise and EMG data were recorded during the each exercise. Clavicular tilt angle was defined as the angle between the line joining the medial and lateral end of the clavicle and a horizontal line. Results: The SA muscle activity was significantly greater in SPT with depression than with SPT exercise (p<.05). The UT, LS muscle activity and the clavicular tilt angle was significantly lower in SPT with depression than with SPT exercise (p<.05). Conclusion: These findings were insightful because the potential risk of pain from overactivation of the UT and LS was considered, in contrast with SPT exercise. SPT with depression exercise can be implemented as an effective method to facilitate scapular muscle activity for stability and to prevent myofascial pain in the neck and shoulder.

The aim of this study was to compare the activity of the upper trapezius (UT) and serratus anterior (SA) and ratio of UT to SA during shoulder elevations. Ten subjects with UT pain (UTP) and 13 subjects without UTP participated in this study. Subjects with a UTP of over five in a pain intensity visual analogue scale (0-10 ㎝) for more than 2 months and latent myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the UT muscle were included in the UTP group. Electromyography (EMG) data of UT and SA at 1st and 10th elevations were analyzed. Two-way repeated analyses of variance were used to compare the EMG activity of UT and SA and the ratio of UT to SA during shoulder elevations between groups with and without UTP. There was a significant increase in UT/SA ratio in the group with UTP compared to the group without UTP (p=.01). The activity of UT and SA measured at the 10th elevation was significantly greater than that in the first elevation (p<.05). The activity of SA was significantly greater in the group without UTP than the group with UTP (p=.03). However, there was no significant difference between groups with and without UTP in terms of UT activity (p=.28). These results indicate that UTP may have relevance to the increased muscle activity ratio of UT to SA during shoulder elevations.

The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects of upper trapezius muscle stretching in more tensed position (MTP) and less tensed position (LTP) on the change of range of motion (ROM) for neck rotation, and the ROM for conjunct neck motions at end-range of neck rotation toward the painful side in patients with unilateral neck pain. Eighteen patients with unilateral neck pain were recruited for the study's MTP group, and 18 age-, weight- and gender-matched patients with unilateral neck pain were recruited for LTP group. The ROM changes in active neck primary and conjunct motions were measured using a cervical ROM inclinometer in the sitting position. Our results showed that both upper trapezius stretching method in MTP and LTP were significantly effective in increasing the ROM of neck rotation toward painful side in patients with unilateral neck pain. However, a significantly greater increase in the ROM for neck rotation and a further decrease in conjunct neck extension during neck rotation toward the painful side were shown in MTP group, compared to LTP group. The upper trapezius stretching in MTP is useful in increasing the ROM of neck rotation and decreasing the range of conjunct neck extension during neck rotation toward the painful side in patients with unilateral neck pain.

The aim of this study was to determine the immediate effects of single treatment of strain-counter strain (SCS) on pressure pain threshold (PPT) and muscle activity during scapular plane abduction with 3% body weight load. Fifteen asymptomatic male adults with upper trapezius latent trigger point (LTrP) (PPT<2.9 ) participated in this study. Pressure algometer was used to measure PPT and surface electromyography was used to record upper, middle arid lower trapezius, serratus anterior, infraspinatus and middle deltoid muscle activity and relative ratio during scapular plane abduction between pre- and post-intervention. There was a significant increase in upper trapezius PPT after a 90-second SCS (p<.05). The activity of the upper trapezius and middle deltoid was significantly decreased (p=.014, p=.001), coupled with a decreased muscle activity ratio between the upper and lower trapezius (p<.05). These results indicate that the SCS may effectively deactivate upper trapezius activity, thereby alleviating muscle balance and reducing pain sensitivity.

This study was conducted to find the effects of scapular taping on muscle activities of the scapular rotators and upper trapezius pain in subjects with upper trapezius pain. Fifteen male subjects were recruited from Yonsei University for this study. Muscle activity of upper trapezius, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior was measured using surface electromyography. Visual analog scale was used for measuring upper trapezius pain. The subjects were asked to maintain shoulder flexion position with holding a 1 kg dumbbell in standing position. Scapular taping was applied over the muscle belly of the upper trapezius and attached parallel with the lower trapezius muscle fibers. For normalization, % maximal voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) was conducted. Paired t-test was applied to compare the muscle activities of scapular rotator and upper trapezius pain before and after applying the scapular taping. The muscle activity of the upper trapezius muscle and serratus anterior decreased significantly after tape application (p<.05). However, no significant difference was observed in lower trapezius muscle. The level of pain in the upper trapezius muscle significantly decreased after tape application (p<.05). The results of this study suggest that scapular taping can be used an additional therapy for reducing muscle activity of upper trapezius, serratus anterior and upper trapezius pain during shoulder flexion in patient with upper trapezius pain.

The purpose of this study was to compare visual analogue scale (VAS), pain threshold (PT), , and EMG gaps before and after applying transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the upper trapezius muscle at the patients with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). The subjects were 4 men and 10 women composed of both the inpatients and outpatients who were diagnosed as MPS at Wonju Medical Center. VAS and PT measurements were performed to assess the subjective pain level. The reference voluntary contraction (RVC) test was performed for 15 seconds for normalization on the bilateral trapezius muscle using surface electromyography (sEMG). After 3-minute resting time, the EMG signal was recorded while performing a typing activity for 2 minutes and then TENS was applicated with a comfortable intensity for 10 minutes. The EMG activity of the upper trapezius muscle was recorded during typing for 2 minutes. The results of study were as follows: 1) VAS score was significantly decreased on the more painful side after treatment, however, it was not significantly different on the less painful side. 2) PT was increased after treatment on both sides, however, it was not significantly different between before and after the TENS application. 3) The EMG activity during typing was significantly decreased after treatment, and 4) The EMG gaps were significantly increased after TENS treatment compared to before it. Consequently, the study showed that TENS was effective in decreasing VAS, , and in increasing EMG gaps. The EMG gap analysis could be a useful method to measure pain in patients with MPS in the upper trapezius.

본 연구에서는 상부 승모근의 근막통증(myofascial pain syndrome; MPS)를 대상으로 이완상태에서 근 활성도를 측정해보고, 통증을 감소시키는 데 주로 이용되는 경피신경자극 치료 후 근 활성도에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 알아보기 위해 실시하였다. 본 연구의 대상자는 근막 통증으로 진단을 받은 총 10명을 대상으로 실시하였다. 주관적 시각 척도(visual analogue scale; VAS)와 압통 역치 측정계(pressure thresh

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the low-intensity ultrasound (noblelife) treatment on the pain points of upper trapezius muscle. The study recruited 20 patients who had trigger points in one side of the upper trapezius. The effectiveness of the low-intensity ultrasound treatment was assessed with subjective pain intensity using visual analog scale (VAS) and pressure pain threshold (PPT). The PPT was measured by pressure threshold algometer. Before and after the treatment, changes of pain were evaluated. Wilcoxon test for VAS data and paired t-test for PPT data were used for statistical significance. Compared to the pain intensity before the treatment, the pain intensity after treatment was significantly decreased (p<.05). Low-intensity ultrasound could be safely used in clinical application and at home for the treatment of patients with pain in upper trapezius muscle.