Normalization of the trapezius sEMG signal - a reliability study on women with and without neck-shoulder pain.
Marina Machado Cid, Leticia Bergamin Januario, Gisele Garcia Zanca and 2 others
PMID 29033217WHAT IT FOUND
Submaximal contractions were more reliable than maximal ones for normalizing trapezius muscle activity in women with and without neck-shoulder pain.
This suggests submaximal tests are a better choice for assessing trapezius function in clinical research.
Key findings
01Submaximal contractions showed better within-day reliability than maximal contractions for almost all trapezius portions in both healthy women and those with neck-shoulder pain.
02Submaximal contractions also demonstrated greater between-days reliability compared to maximal contractions for most trapezius portions in both groups.
03The study recommends using submaximal contractions for normalizing trapezius muscle activity in subjects with and without neck-shoulder pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study only included women aged 20 to 30, so the results may not apply to men or older adults. The sample size was small (19 participants), which limits the generalizability of the findings. The reliability of the measurements depends on the specific testing positions and the 1 kg load used for submaximal contractions; different protocols might yield different results. Manual resistance was used for maximal contractions, which can introduce variability compared to using mechanical devices.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that submaximal contractions are universally superior for all muscle assessments or populations. The findings specifically apply to the trapezius muscle in young women, and the reliability of the method depends on strict adherence to the testing positions and loads described in the study.