Comparative Effects of the Bowen Technique With and Without Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients With Deep Gluteal Syndrome

Comparative Effects of the Bowen Technique With and Without Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients With Deep Gluteal Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial consisting of 46 participants with Deep Gluteal syndrome, calculated by the G power tool with an attrition rate of 5 % will be conducted. Participants will be recruited using non-probability convenience sampling based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups with 23 participants each group. Group A will receive Bowen Technique with extracorporeal shockwave therapy. Group B will receive Bowen Technique without extracorporeal shockwave therapy in conjunction with conventional therapy. Primary outcomes like pain, functional level and ROM will be measured at baseline and post-intervention using the Lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), Numeric Pain Rating scale (NPRS), and Goniometer. Data will be analyzed by IBM SPSS 26.0 with the Shapiro-Wilk test to confirm the normality.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Individuals aged 25 to 45 years, including both genders 55
• Positive FAIR, Active Piriformis Test, Seated Piriformis Stretch Test 56,6,57
• NPRS pain score ≥ 3/10 55
• For a minimum of four weeks, there has been unilateral discomfort in the buttock, with or without accompanying posterior thigh pain, exacerbated by sitting 58

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous surgery involving the ipsilateral hip, pelvis, lumbar spine, or sacroiliac joint 34
• Women who were pregnant or nursing were excluded 59
• Medical conditions such as tumors or fractures 60
• Neuromuscular disorders that impair normal lumbopelvic morphology or progressive neurologic disease 60
• Disc pathologies identified through radiological imaging 17
• Pathologies of the hip joint and soft tissues 17
• Recent trauma history 17
• History of polyneuropathy, sciatic nerve injury, rheumatological disease, or malignancy 17
• Corticosteroid therapy or opioid-derived analgesia for pain during the previous month 17