Treatment of trigger point sensitivity with Neuro Emotional Technique in chronic neck pain sufferers

Chronic neck pain sufferers have been found to often suffer from trigger points in neck musculature. Trigger points are bands of hyper-irritable spots in taut muscle, which can cause tenderness, a jump sign, and radiculations of pain. Chronic pain, that greater than 3 months duration, is understood to have significant psychosocial overlay. Very few primary health care therapists have the means to treat this psychosocial overlay and hence reduce associated physical symptoms. Neuro Emotional Technique is a well-established chiropractic intervention which attempts to treat this psychosocial overlay. This study took chronic neck pain sufferers, and measured their presentations of pain on a visual analog scale, and also via a quantified pressure applied to the trigger points with a pressure gauge algometer. The treatment group then received one NET treatment, whilst the control received a SHAM treatment. They both presented 3 days later to see if their symptoms had changed in severity. The primary purpose was to see if NET consultation had a short term effect of the severity of trigger points in neck musculature. The null hypothesis was that NET would not cause a reduction in pain sensitivity in trigger points as measured by pressure algometry.