Neck Muscles Sense of Force in Healthy Individuals and Subjects with Trigger Points of the Upper Trapezius Muscle

Introduction. Trigger points can be the source of radiating pain and may interfere with normal muscle function. The aim of this study is to investigate the neck muscle’s sense of force in subjects with trigger points of the upper trapezius muscle compared with healthy subjects. Materials and methods. In a cross-sectional analytical study, in 40 young subjects with hidden trigger points of the upper trapezius muscle and 40 healthy young subjects, constant, absolute and variable error of sense of force of cervical muscles, range of motion of neck and pressure pain threshold of upper trapezius muscles in both groups were measured. Results. The absolute and variable error of sense of force in the extensor and lateral flexor muscles of the neck were significantly different between two groups, and the subjects with hidden trigger points had higher errors. The pain threshold of both sides in subjects with hidden trigger points was significantly lower than healthy subjects. The range of motion wasn’t significantly different between the two groups. Discussion and conclusions. This study showed that the sense of force error was higher in subjects with trigger points. Also, the pressure pain threshold in subjects with trigger points were lower than healthy subjects. As a result, In the evaluation of neck pain patients, it is important to pay attention to sense of force error.