Effect of myofascial release and muscle energy technique on patients with chronic neck pain: a scoping review.

Purpose: To identify the effects of muscle energy techniques and myofascial release in patients with chronic neck pain.

Methods: To conduct a literature search and identification; PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed. Relevant articles were searched for from the following medical and health sciences electronic databases: PubMed, EBSCOhost, CENTRAL of the Cochrane Library, and the Physiotherapy Evidence-Based Database (PEDro). Patients with chronic neck pain were eligible for the scoping review.

Results: Seven articles were included in this review. This scoping review found that there is heterogeneity in the prescription of MFR and MET and a greater tendency to check three major physical dimensions (pain, range of motion, and disability). Various studies have opted for distinct intervention regimens, resulting in disparities in the frequency of weekly interventions, which can range from biweekly to five times a week. These inconsistencies may lead to perplexity among practitioners, as each intervention modality demonstrates favorable outcomes for individuals with persistent cervical discomfort. Moreover, a significant proportion of research projects have employed the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) and visual analog scale (VAS) for data quantification.

Conclusion: According to results, majority of the studies were focused on pain and missing components of range of motion and quality of life. Work-related factors can act as risk factors for chronic neck pain. Future investigations should adopt a comprehensive methodology and incorporate QoL assessments of quality of life.