Comparative Study of Effectiveness of Muscle Energy Technique and Static Stretching on Pain and Functional Performance in Patient with Mechanical Neck Pain

Background: Neck pain is common problem with in our society. Upper trapezious and the levator scapulae are the most common postural muscles that tends to get tight and leading to the restricted neck mobility. If these groups of muscles are treated it may provide with best results. There is lack of evidence to allow conclusions to be drawn about the effectiveness of Muscle Energy Technique when compared with stretching exercises for relieving mechanical neck pain. Objective: To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of Muscle Energy Technique and Static Stretching on pain and functional performance in patient with mechanical neck pain. Study design: A pre-post experimental design was used in this study. Subjects and method: 30 patients of mechanical neck pain, aged 18-40 years, to receive Muscle Energy Technique plus static stretching plus conventional physiotherapy (group A, n= 15) Static stretching plus conventional physiotherapy (group B, n=15). Outcome measures: Pain intensity on VAS, Neck Disability Index. Conclusion: This study concluded that both the treatment techniques, Muscle Energy Technique and Static Stretching were effective in alleviating the mechanical neck pain in terms of decreasing pain intensity and decreasing tightness of muscle. However Muscle Energy Technique was superior than Static Stretching in decreasing pain intensity and decreasing tightness of upper trapezius and levator Scapulae.