Effect of Handheld Vibration Therapy Device on Upper Trapezius Tightness and Cervical Mobility
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/8avve944Keywords:
Handheld vibration therapy; upper trapezius; muscle stiffness; cervical mobility; range of motion; percussion therapy; physiotherapyAbstract
Background: Upper trapezius tightness is a common musculoskeletal problem associated with increased muscle stiffness, restricted cervical mobility, altered posture, and functional limitations. Handheld vibration therapy provides localized mechanical stimulation to soft tissues and may reduce muscle stiffness and improve mobility; however, evidence regarding its effects on objectively measured upper trapezius stiffness together with cervical range of motion remains limited.
Objective: To evaluate the short-term effects of handheld vibration therapy on upper trapezius muscle stiffness and cervical mobility in individuals with upper trapezius tightness.
Methods: A randomized controlled pretest-posttest study was conducted among 40 participants aged 18–45 years with clinically identified upper trapezius tightness. Participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to a handheld vibration therapy group (n=20) or a conventional physiotherapy control group (n=20). The experimental group received vibration therapy at 40 Hz for 5 minutes per side, three sessions per week for three weeks. Upper trapezius stiffness was assessed using MyotonPRO, while cervical flexion, extension, and right and left rotation were assessed using a cervical range-of-motion device. Within-group and between-group comparisons were performed, and treatment effects were reported with 95% confidence intervals and Cohen’s d. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Upper trapezius stiffness decreased from 312.6 ± 35.4 N/m to 254.8 ± 30.7 N/m in the vibration therapy group, compared with 310.8 ± 34.9 N/m to 295.6 ± 33.8 N/m in the control group. At post-treatment assessment, muscle stiffness was significantly lower in the vibration group (mean difference: −40.8 N/m; 95% CI: −61.47 to −20.13; p<0.001; Cohen’s d=1.26). Significant between-group differences favoring vibration therapy were also observed for cervical flexion (mean difference: 6.2°; 95% CI: 2.16–10.24; p=0.004; d=0.98), extension (8.3°; 95% CI: 3.59–13.01; p=0.001; d=1.13), right rotation (8.7°; 95% CI: 3.61–13.79; p=0.001; d=1.09), and left rotation (7.3°; 95% CI: 2.08–12.52; p=0.007; d=0.90).
Conclusion: Handheld vibration therapy produced greater short-term improvements in upper trapezius muscle stiffness and cervical mobility than conventional physiotherapy. These findings suggest that vibration therapy may be a useful adjunct intervention for individuals with upper trapezius tightness; however, larger randomized trials with longer follow-up are required to establish its sustained clinical effectiveness.
References
Siddiqui H, Iqbal MA, Batool A, Shah N, Javaria S, Khalid S, et al. COMPARISON OF INSTRUMENT-ASSISTED SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION TECHNIQUE AND MYOFASCIAL GUN IN UPPER CROSS SYNDROME [J]. Insights-Journal of Health and Rehabilitation. 2025;3(3):95-105.
Dueñas L, Zamora T, Lluch E, Artacho-Ramírez M, Mayoral O, Balasch S, et al. The effect of vibration therapy on neck myofascial trigger points: A randomized controlled pilot study. Clinical biomechanics. 2020;78:105071.
Yilmaz Menek M, Dansuk E, Tayboga UI. Effect of local vibration therapy on pain, joint position sense, kinesiophobia, and disability in cervical disc herniation: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of clinical medicine. 2024;13(15):4566.
Ferreira RM, Silva R, Vigário P, Martins PN, Casanova F, Fernandes RJ, et al. The effects of massage guns on performance and recovery: a systematic review. Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology. 2023;8(3):138.
Kuo Y-L, Wang P-S, Ko P-Y, Huang K-Y, Tsai Y-J. Immediate effects of real-time postural biofeedback on spinal posture, muscle activity, and perceived pain severity in adults with neck pain. Gait & posture. 2019;67:187-93.
Li G, Liu D, Yang D, He L. The impact of different muscle relaxation techniques on the upper trapezius and its relationship with the middle trapezius. Journal of Physiological Investigation. 2024;67(4):225-32.
Feyzioğlu Ö, Dinçer S, Yılmaz BD, Saldıran TÇ, Öztürk Ö. Effects of Vibration Therapy on Muscle Strength, Shoulder Range of Motion, and Muscle Biomechanical Properties in Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation. 2025;104(4):325-34.
Pérez-Martínez C, Gogorza-Arroitaonandia K, Heredia-Rizo AM, Salas-González J, Oliva-Pascual-Vaca Á. INYBI: a new tool for self-myofascial release of the suboccipital muscles in patients with chronic non-specific neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. LWW; 2020.
Koleva IB, Yoshinov RD, Yoshinov BR. Complex physical prevention and rehabilitation of cervical myofascial pain and headache, due to spine malposition in users (abusers) of smart phones. Highlights on Medicine and Medical Research. 2021;1(12):80-8.
Anwar N, Li S, Long L, Zhou L, Fan M, Zhou Y, et al. Combined effectiveness of extracorporeal radial shockwave therapy and ultrasound-guided trigger point injection of lidocaine in upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome. American journal of translational research. 2022;14(1):182.
Boopathy D, Siva S, Logeshwari V, Dilip G, Madhubala V. A Randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of ultrasound therapy with muscle relaxant gel versus aquasonic transmission gel combined with strengthening exercises protocol in treating text neck syndrome. Physical Rehabilitation and Recreational Health Technologies. 2025;10(5):370-8.
Arshadi R, Ghasemi GA, Samadi H. Effects of an 8-week selective corrective exercises program on electromyography activity of scapular and neck muscles in persons with upper crossed syndrome: Randomized controlled trial. Physical Therapy in Sport. 2019;37:113-9.
Wade A. The impact of digital media use on the musculoskeletal and visual systems. Technology and adolescent health: Elsevier; 2020. p. 365-80.
Smart CR. The Immediate Effect of NeuroTrac® MultiTENS on Acute Neck Pain: University of Johannesburg (South Africa); 2015.
Yong M-S, Lee H-Y. Does forward head posture influence muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity in university students? Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025;14(6):1888.
SurESh A, Sudhan S, MohAn P, RAMALINGAM AT. Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Neck Pain and Disability in University Students. Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research. 2021;15(6).
Sams L, Langdown BL, Simons J, Vseteckova J. The effect of percussive therapy on musculoskeletal performance and experiences of pain: a systematic literature review. International journal of sports physical therapy. 2023;18(2):309.
Sivamani C, Dharshini S, Harini Monisha K, Nagalakshmi R, editors. Myofascial cramp massager using Thermotherapy and cryotherapy. 2023 International Conference on Intelligent Technologies for Sustainable Electric and Communications Systems (iTech SECOM); 2023: IEEE.
KIM J-S, PARK H-Y, LEE J-K. Effects of Head and Neck Postural Correction and Muscle Strengthening Exercises on Voice Improvement in Patients with Hypertensive Pontine Hemorrhage and Forward Head Posture. 2025.
Chockalingam R, Kumar S, Inamdar PD. Comparative effects of Percussion Theragun Versus Physical Activity in non-specific Neck Pain in Young Adults–A randomized clinical tr. INTI Journal. 2023;2023.
Mendes IdS, Lima FPS, Freitas STTd, Prianti TdSM, Andrade AO, Lima MO. Effects of vibration therapy in the musculoskeletal system in post-surgical breast cancer women: longitudinal controlled clinical study. Research on Biomedical Engineering. 2016;32(03):213-22.
Fan K, Wang A, Gao H, Yu T, Zhu X. Efficacy of tuina versus the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) technique in patients with nonspecific chronic neck pain: protocol for a randomized controlled trial. JMIR research protocols. 2025;14(1):e63528.
Kim E-K, Kim S-G. The effect of an active vibration stimulus according to different shoulder joint angles on functional reach and stability of the shoulder joint. Journal of physical therapy science. 2016;28(3):747-51.
Tartari AP, Moreira FF, Pereira MCDS, Kerppers II, Cidral-Filho FJ, Salgado ASI. Effect of neuromuscular balance on static balance in adult and elderly populations. Manual Therapy, Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal. 2020;18:1-6.
Eitivipart AC, Viriyarojanakul S, Redhead L. Musculoskeletal disorder and pain associated with smartphone use: A systematic review of biomechanical evidence. Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal. 2018;38(02):77-90.
Takla MKN. Low‐frequency high‐intensity versus medium‐frequency low‐intensity combined therapy in the management of active myofascial trigger points: A randomized controlled trial. Physiotherapy Research International. 2018;23(4):e1737.
Koo D-J, Park S-C, Park J-Y, Jung J-W, Kwon H-G. Effect of Breathing Technique-Based Exercises on Alignment and Mechanical Properties of Muscles Related to Upper Cross Syndrome. Korean Society of Physical Medicine. 2024;19(4):21-33.
Alonazi A. The effects of frequent smartphone use on children's upper posture and pulmonary function: Loma Linda University; 2017.
Thomas K. Blood flow restriction and other innovations in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Endurance Sports Medicine: A Clinical Guide: Springer; 2023. p. 237-66.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr M. Danial Baig Chughtai, Dr Muhammad Arif, Dr. Kaneez Fatima, Rida Mumtaz, Dr. Arooj Fatima, Hanan Azfar (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
