Arab A.M.1, Ziaeefar M.2, Nourbakhsh M.R.3
1University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Physical Therapy, Tehran, Iran, 2Iran University of Medical Sciences, Physical Therapy, Tehran, Iran, 3University of North Georgia, Physical, Dahlonega, United States
Background: Dry needling is commonly used by physical therapists as a therapy of choice for treatment of the patients with myofascial trigger points.
Purpose: The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effect of dry needling technique in the treatment of myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle.
Methods: A sample of convenience of 34patients with trigger pointin the upper trapezius muscle participated in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to a standard (N=17) or experimental group (N=16). The treatment protocol for the standard group consisted of trigger point compression technique on trigger point, while the patients in the experimental group received dry needling. Pain intensity and pressure pain thresholds and the Disability of Arm, Hand, and Shoulder (DASH) were assessed for both groups before and after the treatment sessions. The pain intensity was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). A pressure threshold algometer was used to measure the pressure pain thresholds. n this study, the DASH questionnaire was administered before and after treatment in both groups to investigate the efficacy of treatment in improving disability in patients participated in the study.
Results: Normal distribution was observed for variables in both groups. The result of the paired t-test revealed a significant change in VAS, Pressure pain threshold and DASH after treatment in the dry needling and compression technique group compared with before treatment. The findings of ANCOVA revealed significant difference between two groups on the post-measurement score of VAS (F=6.3,P=0.01). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups on the post-measurement score of the PPT (F=3.17,P=0.08), and the DASH (F=0.91,P=0.34).
Conclusion(s): In overall, this study showed a significant change in pain intensity, pressure pain threshold and DASH after three treatment sessions compared with pre-treatment score in both the standard and experimental groups. We found significant differences in the VAS between the two groups after the treatment sessions. Our data, however, showed no significant difference in increasing the pressure pain threshold and decreasing the DASH score between the two groups after treatment.
Implications: The application of dry needling produces an improvement in pain intensity, pressure pain threshold and DASH scores and may be prescribed for subjects with trigger point in the upper trapezius muscles especially when pain relief is the goal of the treatment.
Funding acknowledgements: There is no funding source for this study.
Topic: Musculoskeletal: spine
Ethics approval: The study was approved by human research ethics committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
