The effectiveness of gel hot pack (UP Gelpack) on pain and flexibility over latent myofascial trigger point of upper trapezius muscle
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
UP Gelpack, a hot gel pack made from tapioca starch, offers excellent heat absorption and energy release properties. It is a safe and convenient option for clinical pain management. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of UP Gelpack with a standard hot gel pack for pain level and neck flexibility over latent myofascial trigger point of upper trapezius muscle. Thirty-six aged 20-40 years with cervical myofascial pain syndrome were randomly assigned to two groups: UP Gelpack (n=18) and standard hot pack (n=18). Both groups received treatment for a 20-minutes session, three times per week for 2 weeks. Before and after the experiments, the subjects' pain levels and neck flexibility were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) and active neck range of motion, respectively. Results showed that the VAS scores significantly decreased in both the standard hot pack (from 4.89 ± 1.02 to 4.50 ± 0.71; p < 0.05) and UP Gelpack groups (from 4.78 ± 1.11 to 4.22 ± 0.73; p < 0.05), and neck flexibility significantly increased (neck flexion, lateral flexion to right and left) after both modalities (p < 0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (p>0.05). In conclusion, both modalities have similar effects on pain reduction and neck flexibility in subjects with neck pain. Thus, UP Gelpack can be considered as an alternative method for treating patients with chronic neck pain at home because it is easy to use and does not cause irritation.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Borg-Stein J, Iaccarino MA. Myofascial pain syndrome treatments. Phys Med Rehabil Clin. 2014;25(2):357-74.
Siwicha W. Myofascial pain syndrome. Hua Hin Sook Jai Klai Kangwon Journal 2016;1(1):10-28.
McNamara CA. Travell & Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, Volume 1: Upper Half of Body, ed 2. Physical Therapy. 2000;80(5):542.
Saxena A, Chansoria M, Tomar G, Kumar A. Myofascial pain syndrome: an overview. J Pain Palliat Care. 2015;29(1):16-21.
Hong C-Z. Treatment of myofascial pain syndrome. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006;10(5):345-9.
Clijsen R, Stoop R, Hohenauer E, Aerenhouts D, Clarys P, Deflorin C, et al. Local heat applications as a treatment of physical and functional parameters in acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders or pain. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2022;103(3):505-22.
MH C. Physical agents in rehabilitation: from research to practice. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Saunders; 2013.
Boonkong J. Resistant Starch.Starch plays a role in health. JFTSU. 2011;6(1):1-8.
Yodthee T, Tankaew P, Poonpukdee A, Srithawong A. Development of hotpack and coldpack. 2019.
Sengsoon P, Khieowong J, Lisawat M, Pongsatornku Wl, Prateep S. Immediate effects of different hot packs on latent trigger point and flexibility of upper trapezius muscle : single-blinded, randomized clinical trial. J Thai Trad Alt Med 2019;17(2):205-13.
Hou C-R, Tsai L-C, Cheng K-F, Chung K-C, Hong C-Z. Immediate effects of various physical therapeutic modalities on cervical myofascial pain and trigger-point sensitivity. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002;83(10):1406-14.
Khamsawarde N. Pain assessment tool for first stage of labor: systematic review. Journal of Health Research and Development Nakhon Ratchasima Public Health Provincial Office 2020;6(2):21-31.
Reese N, Bandy W. Joint range of motion and musle length Ttesting (Second). Saunders Elsevier. 2010.
Freiwald J, Magni A, Fanlo-Mazas P, Paulino E, Sequeira de Medeiros L, Moretti B, et al. A role for superficial heat therapy in the management of non-specific, mild-to-moderate low back pain in current clinical practice: A narrative review. Life (Basel). 2021;11(8):1-13.
Bellew JW, Michlovitz SL, Nolan TP. Michlovitz's Modalities for Therapeutic Intervention (Contemporary Perspectives in Rehabilitation). Philadephia: FA.:Davis Company; 2016.
Lamsfuss J, Bargmann S. Mechanisms of thermal treatments in trigger points of the skeletal muscle: Computational microstructural modeling. Eur J Mech A/Solids 2023;99:1-14.
Thaweethamcharoen T, Pharm M. Outcomes and cost minimization between Siriraj cold hot pack and the innovator product. Siriraj Med J 2010;62(5):211-4.
Markowski A, Sanford S, Pikowski J, Fauvell D, Cimino D, Caplan S. A pilot study analyzing the effects of Chinese cupping as an adjunct treatment for patients with subacute low back pain on relieving pain, improving range of motion, and improving function. J Altern Complement Med 2014;20(2):113-7.
Kaul MP, Herring SA. Superficial heat and cold. Phys Sportsmed. 1994;22(12):65-74.
Petrofsky J, Bains G, Prowse M, Gunda S, Berk L, Raju C, et al. Does skin moisture influence the blood flow response to local heat? A re-evaluation of the Pennes model. J Med Eng Technol 2009;33(7):532-7.
Fuentes-León P, Jara-Poblete N, Bastías-Sánchez P, Vitzel K, Marzuca-Nassr G. Heat transfer by three types of hot pack and its implication on the flexibility of the lower back: a randomized, controlled trial. Fisioterapia e Pesquisa. 2016;23(2):201-9.