EFFECTS OF THE WINBACK THERAPY ON PAIN AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRAPEZIUS IN PATIENTS WITH WORK-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the pain and physiological characteristics of the trapezius change when the Winback therapy is applied to the trapezius in patients with work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). This study was conducted on 30 healthy adults living in Jeju Island. After applying the Winback 3SE high-frequency equipment developed in France, the muscle tone, muscle stiffness, pressure pain threshold, and visual analog scale (VAS) of the trapezius were measured. After the intervention, muscle tone decreased from 16.15 ± 2.02 to 14.22 ± 1.83, muscle stiffness decreased from 285.81 ± 58.26 to 245.83 ± 51.62, pressure pain threshold increased from 62.58 ± 23.28 to 79.38 ± 28.27, and VAS decreased from 3.73 ± 0.73 to 1.01 ± 0.02. These improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.05), and the muscle tone, muscle stiffness, pressure pain threshold improved in the experimental group compared to the control group. The Winback therapy was effective in reducing muscle tone, muscle stiffness, and pain of trapezius in WMSDs.