• Elabd AM
• Elabd OM
• Mansour WT
• Hammam RF

• Integrated Neuromuscular Inhibition Technique
• Muscle Energy Technique
• Myofascial Pain Syndromes / therapy
• Neck Pain / therapy
• Shoulder Pain / therapy
• Superficial Back Muscles / physiopathology
• Trigger Points / physiopathology

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of the Integrated Neuromuscular Inhibition Technique (INIT) and postisometric relaxation (PIR) techniques on rhomboid muscle latent trigger points (LTrPs).

Methods: Seventy-five patients with rhomboid muscle LTrPs were randomly divided into 3 groups and treated for 4 weeks: group A (control): conventional treatment (infrared radiation, ultrasonic therapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation); group B: PIR with conventional treatment; and group C: INIT with conventional treatment. Pre- and post-treatment measurements were taken for shoulder pain and disability, neck pain intensity, neck disability, and pressure pain threshold (PPT) at 3 spots on each side. A 2-way MANOVA was used for data analysis.

Results: Group C experienced significantly lower shoulder pain and disability than A and B and less neck pain intensity than A. Both groups, B and C, had significantly higher PPT for the upper and lower right points than A. PPT for the right middle, upper, and lower left points was higher in Group C than in A or B. Group C had a higher PPT of the middle-left point than A. There were significant changes in all outcomes within all groups (P < .05), except that the control group showed no significant alterations in PPT measurements.

Conclusions: Both approaches help treat rhomboids and muscle LTrPs when combined with conventional treatment, even though INIT may be more successful than PIR.

Author keywords: Back Muscles; Manual Therapies; Myofascial Pain Syndromes; Rhomboid Major; Trigger Point. 

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