ABSTRACT

Year : 2022  |  Volume : 6  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 74

Physiotherapy in Musculoskeletal and Sports conditions: AB No: 175: Effect of Matrix Rhythm Therapy on Pain and Hand Intrinsic Muscle Strength in Students with Nomophobia

Tushar Palekar, Sanjana Chakrabarty, Pramod Palekar, Gaurang Baxi
Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune

Correspondence Address:

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

DOI: 10.4103/2456-7787.361090

Background and purpose: Matrix Rhythm Therapy (MRT) is a new electrotherapy modality which provides effective treatment for the conditions related to disturbance in the microcirculation. It is effective in pain management as it helps the cells to restore its original frequency between 8-12Hz. In the modern era, smartphone have become a very intrigue part of human life, 74% population uses smartphone worldwide. There is risk of developing various repetitive strain injuries in smartphone users. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Matrix Rhythm Therapy on hand pain in excessive Smartphone users. Methodology: 140 students in age group of 18–25 years were screened on basis of Smartphone Addiction Scale: Short Version to assess the addiction towards smartphone. The participants having the score more than 25/60 were included in the further study which turned out to be 90 students. These participants were told to install My Addictometer application in their smartphone, the participants using their smartphone for more than 3 hours per day were further assessed for hand pain using Cornell Hand Discomfort Questionnaires (CHDQ). 30 participants having hand pain were given MRT for three sessions, spread across one week. MRT was given to lumbricals, thenar and hypothenar muscles. Outcome measures were visual analog scale (VAS) at rest and on activity, pinch strength and grip strength. All outcome measures were assessed pre & post treatment. Results: Results showed significant improvement in VAS on activity and rest (p<0.001), grip strength (p<0.001) and pinch strength (p<0.001) after application of Matrix Rhythm Therapy. Conclusion: From the findings of this study, we can conclude that MRT is effective in reducing hand pain. Also, there is significant improvement in grip and pinch strength in individuals who are using smartphones for more than 3 hours a day.

Keywords: Hand pain, Intrinsic Muscle Strength, Matrix Rhythm Therapy, Nomophobia, Texting