The effect of suboccipital trigger points on pulmonary function.
Item
- Title
- The effect of suboccipital trigger points on pulmonary function.
- Author(s)
- Norman, A
- Abstract
- Keywords: Suboccipital muscles, vagus nerve, suboccipital muscles AND vagus nerve, suboccipital muscles AND lung function, suboccipital trigger point, suboccipital inhibition, suboccipital trigger point AND osteopathy, vagus nerve AND osteopathy, suboccipital trigger point AND osteopathy AND vagus nerve. Databases: The following databases were used in order to search for references for this project: Science direct, Swetswise, Medline, Cinahl, PubMed, Wiley Interscience. Aim: The aim of this investigation was to determine the effects of suboccipital TrPs on lung function (FEVI and PEF). Ilntroduction: The vagus nerve passes through the jugular foramen found between the occiput and temporal bones and provides the parasympathetic supply to the lung. Kuchera (1994) stated, "parasympathetic influence via the vagus nerve is dominant in a normal functioning lung". Kuchera also stated that any technique to the cervical spine or cranium, especially the occipito-atlanto joint, should normalise parasympathetic influence to the lungs via the vagus nerve. A TrP is defined as "a focus of hyperirritability in a tissue that, when compressed, is locally tender and, if sufficiently hypersensitive, gives rise to referred pain and tendemess..." (Travell JG and Sirnons D.G, 1983). Methodology: Spirometry was used to assess FEVI and PEF in 60 subjects. Subjects were picked at random and assigned to Group A, B or C; experimental, control or sham. The experimental group received the bilateral suboccipital TrP technique whilst the control group was asked to lay supine and received no intervention. The sham group involved taking a bilateral frontal hold. Participants were asked to exhale into the spirometer three times before and after intervention. Results: Statistical analysis within groups when comparing before and after spirometry readings using F tests and t-tests assuming equal variances for both FEVI and PEF, showed no statistical significance. Comparisons between the three groups (Kruskal-Wallis test) showed no significant differences between the groups for FEVI and PEF. Further analysis using Wilcoxon tests showed significant differences between the control group and sham group (p = 0.02) for FEVI . Conclusion: The results of this study were statistically inconclusive as to whether suboccipital TrP technique alone can affect pulmonary function. Despite the lack of statistically significant findings, the raw data shows positive results demonstrating the technique caused a slight increase in FEVI and PEF. Therefore with the use of a larger sample size, which would increase the power of the study and the limitations of the present study addressed, the results of the statistical analysis could be significant in a further study
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2011
- Date Submitted
- 22.1.2013 16:23:36
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 15291
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- Suboccipital trigger points; Pulmonary function.
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Norman, A, “The effect of suboccipital trigger points on pulmonary function.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 17, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/774