Effects of Muscle Specific as Compared to Movement Specific Muscle Energy Technique on Isometric Muscle Strength and Muscular Endurance in Individuals With Mechanical Neck Pain
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Movement specific muscle energy technique, Muscle specific muscle energy technique.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Neck Pain. Basic parameters: 19 years — 44 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Pakistan
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Overview
Neck pain, prevalent in young adults due to poor posture, sedentary habits, and muscle imbalance. This study aims to compare the effects of muscle-specific versus movement-specific MET on pain, isometric muscle strength, and endurance of neck flexors and extensors. Pre- and post-intervention assessments using VAS, Modified Sphygmomanometer Dynamometer, and cranio-cervical flexion/extension tests will evaluate treatment outcomes.
Detailed description
Neck pain, affecting nearly 75.7% of young adults, is commonly linked to poor posture, sedentary lifestyles, and muscle imbalances. If left untreated, it may lead to disability and degenerative changes. Among rehabilitation approaches, muscle energy techniques (METs) have shown effectiveness in improving pain, mobility, and function by targeting neuromuscular dysfunction. This study aims to compare the effects of muscle- specific MET with movement-specific MET on pain, isometric muscle strength, and muscular endurance of neck flexors and extensors in individuals with neck pain. A randomized control trial will be conducted using purposive sampling. Thirty participants will be divided into two groups: Group A (movement-specific MET) and Group B (muscle-specific MET), with both groups following a standard protocol of Tens and Hotpack applied for 10 mins proceeding every session for five sessions.
Interventions
- Procedure Movement specific muscle energy technique
In the movement-specific group, participants received Post-Isometric Relaxation MET targeting cervical spine movements (flexion, extension, rotation, lateral flexion). For example, during right rotation: Active Contraction: The participant rotated left (opposite direction) with 30-50% effort against the therapist's resistance for 7-10 seconds. Relaxation: The participant relaxed completely. Stretching: The therapist gently moved the head towards the restricted range (right rotation) and held t - Procedure Muscle specific muscle energy technique
In the muscle specific MET group, the participants were given post-isometric relaxation MET targeted at muscles of the neck region that are prone to get short, including anterior, middle and posterior Scalene, Sternocleidomastoid, Levator Scapulae and upper fibers of Trapezius muscle. Active Contraction: The participant rotated left (opposite direction) with 30-50% effort against the therapist's resistance for 7-10 seconds. Relaxation: The participant relaxed completely. Stretching: The therapi
Primary outcome measures
- Pain Intensity [Time frame: 5 days]
- Isometric muscle strength [Time frame: 5 days]
- Muscle endurance [Time frame: 5 days]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age 19-44 years.
- Both Genders (Male and Female).
- Limitation on cervical motion
- Pain ranging from 40-80 mm on visual analogue scale (VAS)
Exclusion criteria
- Participants with a positive history of fracture, surgery or trauma in the neck region, thoracic outlet syndrome, infection, any malignancy.
- Vascular syndromes such as vertebrobasilar insufficiency.
- Inflammatory, or rheumatic disorders, cervical radiculopathy, myelopathy, spondylosis, or syringomyelia.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Pakistan · 1 center
- Foundation University Islamabad — Islamabad
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07329478 · FUI/CTR/2025/25