Prompt Impact of Muscle Energy Technique on Pectoralis Muscle Tightness in Computer Users: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Upneet Kaur; Diggaj Shrestha; Md Ashraf Hussain; Parul Dalal; Manalisa Kalita; Vartika Sharma; Sunita Sharma

doi:10.15280/jlm.2023.13.2.123

Prompt Impact of Muscle Energy Technique on Pectoralis Muscle Tightness in Computer Users: A Quasi-Experimental Study

J Lifestyle Med. 2023 Aug 31;13(2):123-128. doi: 10.15280/jlm.2023.13.2.123.

Authors

Upneet Kaur¹, Diggaj Shrestha¹, Md Ashraf Hussain², Parul Dalal¹, Manalisa Kalita¹, Vartika Sharma³, Sunita Sharma¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Haryana, India.
² Department of Cardiopulmonary Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Haryana, India.
³ Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Haryana, India.

Abstract

Tightness of the pectoralis minor muscle has been a common characteristic of abnormal posture. Prolonged inappropriate posture while using computers/laptops results in musculoskeletal problems, mainly in the upper limb. This study aims to see how the muscular energy technique affected pectoralis minor tightness in computer users right away. This study included 65 individuals aged 20-40 years following the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Participants received muscle energy technique for the pectoralis minor muscle. Pre- and post-assessment included the evaluation of pectoralis minor length, round shoulder posture (RSP), and forward head posture (FHP). We used the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to assess the normality of data, as this study included > 50 participants. Data analysis was conducted using a paired t-test for within-group analysis. The outcome measures demonstrated significant improvement (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the muscle energy technique is effective in reducing muscle tightness, improving RSP and reducing FHP.

Keywords: Computers; Pectoralis muscles; Posture; Shoulder.