Efficacy of myofascial release techniques in the treatment of primary Raynaud's phenomenon

Objective: This study investigated whether myofascial release techniques performed on upper body connective tissue could mitigate the frequency, duration or pain intensity associated with primary Raynaud's phenomenon. Methods: Five treatments were administered over a 3-week treatment period on a 35-year-old female experiencing primary Raynaud's phenomenon for the past 12 years. A log was kept documenting frequency, duration and severity of pain. The myofascial work targeted the upper back, neck and arms according to hypothetical fascial meridian lines. Results: Symptom duration was the one characteristic that showed improvement. After the first treatment, the duration of the subject's vasospastic episodes was reduced by almost half and continued to decrease throughout the 3 weeks of treatments. Neither the frequency or number of affected digits varied significantly from the pre-treatment weeks. Conclusions: The results suggest that by releasing restricted fascia, myofascial techniques may influence the duration and severity of the vasospastic episodes experienced in primary Raynaud's phenomenon. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.