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Relaxation to relieve muscle tension to the upper trapezius level in young adults

Introduction: The tightness and reduction in the flexibility have been reported to be associated with the occurrence of back pain in adolescents and adults [1]. Chronic mechanical neck pain can have a complex clinical presentation and is often difficult to treat [2]. In the clinical population, stretching is used to deal with numerous pathophysiological conditions such as various musculoskeletal disorders in order to provide relief from pain [3]. The purpose of this study was to determine which of these techniques, relaxation of muscle stretching and Laura Mitchell method, is more effective in decreasing the tension of the upper trapezius muscle in young adults. Materials and methods: Sixty young university students with pain and muscle tension in neck, mean age of 22.1 ± 3.8 years old and 79% female, were randomly distributed into three groups. The control group (G1) attended a lecture on stress control techniques, one of the experimental groups (G2) was submitted to Laura Mitchel relaxation method and, the other (G3) was submitted to stretching muscle techniques. The techniques were applied to the respective groups for a period of three weeks, three sessions per week, with 45 to 60 min per session. The variables, pain and muscle tension, were quantified by applying the scale of EVA and electromyography, respectively. was approved by Egas Moniz institutional board. All participants gave their informed consent. Results: At the end of 3 weeks there were only significant differences (p<0.05) on muscle tension measurements, with a decrease, within G3, accompanied by a significant decrease in pain intensity. In G1 and G2 were observed only small variations in pain intensity. Discussion and conclusions: This study revealed that stretching muscle techniques, to relieve upper trapezius muscular tension and pain in young adults, was more effective than Laura Mitchell relaxation technique.