Acute Effects of Myofascial Release in Individuals With Text Neck Syndrome

Official title

Exploring the Short-Term Effects of Myofascial Release in Text Neck Syndrome

Overview

This study aims to investigate the acute effects of myofascial release therapy on neck pain, functional status, and cervical range of motion in individuals diagnosed with Text Neck Syndrome (TNS). Text Neck Syndrome is increasingly prevalent due to excessive use of smartphones and other digital devices, particularly among young adults. The intervention will consist of a single session of standardized myofascial release techniques applied to the cervical and thoracic regions. The primary outcome will be neck pain intensity measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11), while secondary outcomes will include cervical range of motion and the modified Neck Disability Index (NDI). Assessments will be performed immediately before and after the intervention. The study will be conducted with volunteer participants between the ages of 18 and 40, who use mobile devices for more than 3 hours per day and meet the diagnostic criteria for TNS

Detailed description

Text Neck Syndrome (TNS) is a repetitive stress injury caused by prolonged forward head posture, often due to extended use of mobile phones, tablets, and computers. The increasing prevalence of this postural disorder has led to a rise in musculoskeletal complaints, particularly among young adults and university students. TNS is characterized by symptoms such as neck and upper back pain, stiffness, shoulder pain, headaches, and, in some cases, paresthesia in the upper limbs.

Myofascial release (MFR) is a manual therapy technique aimed at releasing restrictions in the myofascial system to alleviate pain and improve function. It is increasingly being used to treat various musculoskeletal disorders, including those affecting the cervical and thoracic spine. The technique involves applying gentle, sustained pressure to the myofascial connective tissue to improve mobility, reduce pain, and enhance functional performance.

This single-arm experimental study is designed to evaluate the acute effects of a one-time standardized myofascial release session targeting the cervical and upper thoracic regions in individuals diagnosed with Text Neck Syndrome. Four myofascial techniques will be applied in a specific sequence:

Single Arm Pull

Lateral Neck Shoulder Release

Thoracic Transverse Release

Anterior Cervical Release

These techniques are performed by a licensed physiotherapist with advanced training in manual therapy. Each intervention is applied bilaterally (if appropriate), with a duration of 90-120 seconds per technique.

The primary focus is to observe immediate (pre-post) changes in:

Subjective neck pain intensity

Functional disability associated with the neck

Cervical range of motion (C-ROM) in multiple planes

This study is exploratory in nature and aims to provide preliminary data on the efficacy of a single-session MFR intervention for individuals experiencing TNS-related symptoms. The findings may guide future controlled trials and inform physiotherapeutic approaches in addressing posture-related neck dysfunctions.

Interventions

• Other Myofascial Release
  A single session of myofascial release techniques including Single Arm Pull, Lateral Neck Shoulder Release, Thoracic Transverse Release, and Anterior Cervical Release applied by a physiotherapist trained in manual therapy.

Primary outcome measures

• Numeric Rating Scale [Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-treatment]
• Cervical Range of Motion and joint position sense [Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-treatment]

Secondary outcome measures (1)

• Modified Neck Disability Index [Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-treatment]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Aged between 18 and 40 years (inclusive)
• Uses a mobile device for ≥3 hours/day
• Reports at least 3 out of the following 6 symptoms associated with Text Neck Syndrome (TNS):

Neck pain Shoulder pain Back pain Headache Insomnia Numbness/tingling in hands

-Voluntarily agrees to participate and provides informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• History of congenital, traumatic, or surgical pathology affecting the cervical -------spine or shoulder region
• Neurological disorders that cause headaches (e.g., migraines due to underlying neurological conditions)
• Presence of inflammatory, infectious spinal diseases, or diagnosed spinal deformities
• Received trigger point injections in the cervical region within the past 6 months

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center

• Karabük University — Karabük

Publications

• Grasser T, Borges Dario A, Parreira PCS, Correia IMT, Meziat-Filho N. Defining text neck: a scoping review. Eur Spine J. 2023 Oct;32(10):3463-3484. doi: 10.1007/s00586-023-07821-2. Epub 2023 Jul 5. PMID 37405530
• Mishra D, Prakash RH, Mehta J, Dhaduk A. Comparative Study of Active Release Technique and Myofascial Release Technique in Treatment of Patients with Upper Trapezius Spasm. J Clin Diagn Res
• Gauns SV, Gurudut PV. A randomized controlled trial to study the effect of gross myofascial release on mechanical neck pain referred to upper limb. Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2018 Sep-Oct;12(5):51-59. PMID 30202408

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06991387 · text neck syndrome

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗