A Comparative Study On Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Versus Autogenic Inhibition Technique On Pain Intensity And Function In Subjects With Mechanical Neck Pain

Background: Mechanical neck pain is a common musculoskeletal condition. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two manual therapy approaches Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and Autogenic Inhibition Technique (AIT) in reducing pain intensity and improving functional ability in individuals with Mechanical Neck Pain. Methods: Quasi experimental study design was used, 80 subjects with age between 18 to 70 years having a clinical diagnosis of Mechanical Neck Pain were randomly allocated in to two groups. In Group A (n=40) subjects were treated with Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization whereas in Group B (n=40) subjects received with Autogenic Inhibition Technique. Participants were given intervention thrice a week for 4 weeks. The outcome measures of this intervention were measured in terms of Visual Analogue Scale for Pain, Universal Goniometer for Cervical Range of Motion and Neck Disability Index for Function. Results: Independent ‘t’ test was used to compare the mean significance difference between continuous variables. Paired ‘t’ test was used to assess the Statistical significance difference between Pre and Post test score. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that within the group comparison, both groups showed significant improvement in all parameters. Whereas, in between the group comparison, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization showed better improvement compared to Autogenic Inhibition Technique. Conclusion: After 4 weeks of intervention both Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization and Autogenic Inhibition Techniques showed significant improvement on reducing Pain, improving Cervical Range of Motion and Function. However, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization group were found to be more effective when compared to Autogenic Inhibition Technique. From the findings of the current study, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization can be opted as a treatment of choice for the management of subjects with Mechanical Neck Pain.