“Dry Needling Alters Trigger Points in the Upper Trapezius Muscle and Reduces Pain in Subjects with Chronic Myofascial Pain”

PM R. 2015 Feb 4;

Authors: Gerber LH, Shah J, Rosenberger W, Armstrong K, Turo D, Otto P, Heimur J, Thaker N, Sikdar S

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether dry needling of an active myofascial trigger point (MTrP) reduces pain and alters the status of the trigger point to either a non-spontaneously tender nodule or its resolution.
DESIGN: A prospective, non-randomized, controlled interventional clinical study SETTING: University campus PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-six subjects with neck or shoulder girdle pain > 3 months duration and active MTrPs were recruited from a campus-wide, volunteer sample. Fifty-two completed the study (23 male/33 female) with mean age of 35.8 years.
INTERVENTIONS: Three weekly dry needling treatments of a single active MTrP Main Outcome Measures PRIMARY OUTCOMES: Baseline and post treatment evaluations of pain using the verbal analogue scale, the Brief Pain Inventory and the status of the MTrP as determined by digital palpation. Trigger points were rated: active (spontaneously painful), latent (requiring palpation to reproduce the characteristic pain) and resolved (no palpable nodule).
SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Profile of Mood States, Oswestry Disability Index, Short Form 36, Cervical Range of Motion. Results PRIMARY OUTCOMES: 41 subjects had a change in trigger point status from active to latent or resolved; and 11 had no change (p < .001). Reduction in all pain scores was significant (p<.001).
SECONDARY OUTCOMES: significant improvement in post-treatment cervical rotational asymmetry in subjects with unilateral/bilateral MTrPs (p=.001, p=21, respectively); in pain pressure threshold in subjects with unilateral/bilateral MTrPs, (p=.006, p=.012), respectively; improvement in the SF-36 mental health and physical functioning subscales (p=.019, p=.03) respectively; decrease in the Oswestry disability scale (p=.003).
CONCLUSIONS: Dry needling reduces pain and changes MTrP status. Change in trigger point status is associated with a statistically and clinically significant reduction in pain. Reduction in pain is associated with improved mood, function and level of disability.

PMID: 25661462 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]