Effects of connective tissue massage on pain, sleep, and quality of life in individuals with myofascial pain syndrome: a randomized controlled study

Purpose: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) has been accepted as one of the pain categories in the musculoskeletal system. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of connective tissue massage (CTM) in addition to exercise program in patients with MPS. Methods: Twenty three female were attended this study and divided randomly into two groups (CTM Group, N=14; Control Group, N=13). In addition to the exercise program, 3 days a week CTM (18 sessions in total) was applied for 6 weeks. Pain severity (visual analog scale), sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and quality of life (short form 36) were evaluated before and after the interventions. Results: There was a significant difference between the pain severity, sleep quality and quality of life in the CTM group pre and post treatment (p<0.05). In control group, significant results were found in pain severity, sleep quality and quality of life (p<0.05).Comparisons between the groups, the severity, sleep quality and quality of life were found to be statistically significant in favor of CTM group (p<0.05). Conclusion: With the application of CTM, it was determined that the decrease in pain intensity caused increase in sleep and quality of life in individuals with MPS. As a result, it is thought that this manual treatment can be used effectively in addition to other physiotherapy modalities as a complementary approach