Chronic musculoskeletal pain is a source of considerable disability, work absenteeism and health care costs. A major obstacle to the treatment of these conditions is the lack of methods to objectively assess connective tissues and measure the effect of treatments. Needle torque test technology under development in this project will potentially enable objective measurement of connective tissue abnormalities associated with musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. This could help evaluate the efficacy of various treatments and enhance the objective monitoring of patient progress in clinical practice.
The purpose of this study is to develop a measure - the needle torque test - capable of detecting connective tissue abnormalities associated with musculoskeletal disorders.