Efficacy of manual therapy for upper back pain against the conventional treatment used in most hospitals and centers here in the Philippines. / [author]: Arevalo, Lorelie, Avila, John Emmanuel, Deocares, Liza, Enriquez, Adeline Olga, Fernandez, Christopher, Go, Abbielenn Santos, Ronald, Villamonte, Cheryl

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ABSTRACT:
Background and Purpose: Myofascial trigger points (TPs) are found among patients who have neck and upper back pain. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a pure manipulation program in the treatment of my official TPs.
Subjects: A sample size of 20 is to be given a questionnaire for a study using simple random sampling. Twenty subjects, aged 25 to 45 years, with one or more TPs in the neck or upper back and with PS of > 6 / 10 will participate in this study.
Methods: Subjects will be randomly divided into 2 groups receiving a 9-daytreatment program, which will run for about 3 weeks. Treatment would consist of either a pure manipulation program for the treatment of MPS or a control treatment consisting of the conventional treatment protocol for MPS. Subjects will be given a checklist to quantify pain relief obtained after 3 treatment sessions.
Hypothesis: Sufferers from MPS will benefit a lot in a pure manipulation treatment protocol in alleviating pain caused by MPS. It can be an alternative protocol with an advantage of a cheaper cost of rehabilitation. Application of pure manipulation
technique if not a better adjunct to the usual treatment, effects will not have any significant difference to the usual protocol used for MPS.
Setting: For the pure manipulation group, it will be conducted in the houses of the subjects or in any place conducive for both the patient and the researcher. For those receiving the conventional treatment, it will be conducted in different hospitals around Metro Manila.
Methodology: Experimental method will be used, more specifically the true control group, pretest-posttest design.

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