Correlation between skin temperature on myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle and range of motion, pain and electromyographic activity in patients with chronic neck pain

Abstract

Neck pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal dysfunction. Studies point out that individuals with chronic pain have metabolic, vascular and electromyographic changes in the trapezius muscle. In addition, a common clinical sign in this muscle in subjected with neck pain is the presence of myofascial trigger points. Such structures are related to sensory, motor and autonomic changes, which are defined as palpable nodules located in the taut band of skeletal muscle. In this context and considering the autonomic and metabolic changes caused by the presence of myofascial trigger points, infrared thermography is another possible method to be employed in the evaluation of subjects with myofascial pain. Therefore, the aim of this project is to correlate the skin temperature on the myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle and range of motion, electromyographic activity and pain in patients with chronic neck pain. For such, 40 volunteers with neck pain, of both genders, aged between 18 and 45 years and with myofascial trigger point of central location and active in upper trapezius will be evaluated by the Neck Disability Index, Numerical Scale for Pain Evaluation, algometry, Catastrophic Scale of Pain, cervical fleximetry, surface electromyography and infrared thermography. For data analysis, will be used normality test to verify the data distribution and consistent statistical test for the appropriate correlations between variables. Significance level of 5% will be assumed.