A Comparison of Myofascial Release and Ultrasound in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Pain

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of myofascial release (MFR) compared to ultrasound (US) in treating musculoskeletal pain. Data in the form of number of trigger points, active range-of-motion of the affected joint, pain scale measurement, and a Treatment Response Questionnaire score, were collected. The Mann-Whitney U value supported that the MFR group outranked the US group 47 percent when ranking the percent change in trigger point number from pre to post treatment. The Mann-Whitney U value supported that the MFR group outranked the US group in pain scale measurement. Kruskal-Wallis H value supported that MFR subjects appeared to make a greater improvement. The Mann-Whitney U value supported that the MFR group outranked the US group 46 percent when ranking the change in range-of-motion. The Mann-Whitney U value supported that the MFR group outranked answers in the US group 55 times.