Rozina Bhimani, PhD, DNP, APRN-CNP, CNE, is Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis. Joseph E. Gaugler, PhD, is Professor, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis. Jill Felts MOT, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, Hillcrest of Wayzata Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, Minnesota. At the time this research was completed, she was Research Assistant at University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis.
Nurs Res. 2020 Mar/Apr;69(2):109-115. doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000404.
Muscle tightness is a complex ailment that affects quality of life in people who experience it. Muscle tightness is not clearly defined by the National Library of Medicine, which creates confusion in clinical practice.
The purpose of this study was to identify the attributes of muscle tightness from expert clinicians' perception and develop a consensus definition from multidisciplinary perspectives.
This nonintervention study employed semistructured interviews using qualitative design. Twelve multidisciplinary expert clinicians participated in the study.
The results indicate that limited range of motion is a key feature of muscle tightness; however, there are six other attributes: loss of function, changes in muscle texture, change in sensation, asymmetry, pain, and contracted muscle state. These attributes are largely subjective and are interrelated.
The new definition captures the multiple domains of muscle tightness. Lack of a standardized tool is a challenge, particularly when subjective assessments require patients' input. Development of such a tool to measure muscle tightness is advocated.
肌肉紧张是一种复杂的疾病，会影响到经历这种疾病的人的生活质量。美国国家医学图书馆并没有对肌肉紧张进行明确的定义，这在临床实践中造成了混淆。
本研究旨在从专家临床医生的角度确定肌肉紧张的属性，并从多学科的角度制定一个共识定义。
本非干预性研究采用半结构式访谈和定性设计，共 12 名多学科专家临床医生参与了研究。
研究结果表明，运动范围受限是肌肉紧张的一个关键特征；然而，还有其他六个属性：功能丧失、肌肉纹理变化、感觉变化、不对称、疼痛和肌肉收缩状态。这些属性在很大程度上是主观的，并且相互关联。
新的定义捕捉到了肌肉紧张的多个领域。缺乏标准化的工具是一个挑战，特别是当主观评估需要患者的参与时。因此，主张开发一种测量肌肉紧张的工具。
