Table 2.
Comparison of treatment results〈change ratios, median (25th-75th percentile)〉between the four groups.
| AcuT |
AcuC |
TriT |
TriC |
p value | post hoc | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| After treatment | Change ratioa | After treatment | Change ratioa | After treatment | Change ratioa | After treatment | Change ratioa | |||
| Pain scale | ||||||||||
| VAS | 3.1 (1.7–5.4) | 0.38 (0.20–0.56) | 3.3 (2.5–5.6) | 0.13 (0.00–0.38) | 3.3 (2.4–4.6) | 0.40 (0.25–0.56) | 4.7 (2.6–6.2) | 0.17 (0.06–0.32) | <0.01∗∗ | bc∗,cd∗ |
| Pressure pain threshold | 1.5 (1.2–2.0) | −0.08 (−0.26–0.05) | 1.6 (1.3–2.3) | −0.07 (−0.28–0.03) | 1.5 (1.2–2.3) | 0.05 (−0.13–0.19) | 1.4 (1.1–1.7) | 0.00 (−0.15–0.10) | 0.19 | |
| ROM | ||||||||||
| Flexion | 57.0 (54.0–66.0) | −0.13 (−0.23–0.03) | 50.0 (45.5–68.0) | −0.06 (−0.20–0.02) | 52.0 (42.5–61.0) | −0.09 (−0.13–0.00) | 52.0 (45.5–60.0) | −0.05 (−0.11–0.03) | 0.19 | |
| Extension | 62.0 (53.0–69.0) | −0.03 (−0.01–0.02) | 62.0 (49.0–65.0) | −0.03 (−0.10–0.01) | 53.0 (47.0–65.5) | −0.06 (−0.14–0.01) | 62.0 (52.0–70.0) | −0.04 (−0.07–0.00) | 0.76 | |
| Ipsilateral bending | 44.0 (41.0–50.0) | −0.08 (−0.15–0.03) | 40.0 (36.5–48.5) | −0.11 (−0.25–0.02) | 40.0 (34.5–44.5) | −0.16 (−0.25–0.04) | 44.0 (38.0–48.0) | −0.05 (−0.08–0.01) | <0.01∗∗ | cd∗∗ |
| Contralateral bending | 46.0 (41.5–51.0) | −0.08 (−0.20–0.05) | 42.0 (36.5–49.0) | −0.11 (−0.21–0.00) | 38.0 (34.5–43.5) | −0.11 (−0.24–0.03) | 44.0 (38.0–48.0) | −0.05 (−0.11–0.02) | 0.37 | |
| Ipsilateral rotation | 78.0 (74.5–86.5) | −0.03 (−0.06–0.01) | 80.0 (70.0–84.5) | −0.02 (−0.04–0.04) | 80.0 (67.5–85.0) | −0.08 (−0.12–0.03) | 80.0 (74.5–86.0) | −0.03 (−0.07–0.01) | <0.01∗∗ | bc∗∗ |
| Contralateral rotation | 81.0 (69.0–90.5) | −0.03 (−0.07–0.02) | 77.0 (74.0–85.5) | −0.02 (−0.04–0.02) | 82.0 (66.0–92.0) | −0.03 (−0.08–0.00) | 80.0 (72.5–85.0) | −0.02 (−0.04–0.01) | 0.39 | |
∗ p < 0.05; ∗∗ p < 0.01.
a
Change ratio = (before – after)/before. Abbreviations: AcuT: acupoint therapy group; AcuC: acupoint control group; TriT: trigger point therapy group; TriC: trigger point control group; VAS: visual analogue scale; ROM: range of motion; bc: AcuC vs. TriT; cd: TriT vs. TriC.