Comparison of Vibration and Dry Needle in Trigger Point Therapy

Comparison of Vibration Applied to the Trigger Point and Dry Needle in Acute Myofascial Pain Syndrome: a Prospective Randomized Controlled Research

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of localized vibration and dry needling applied to the trigger point in the individuals with acute myofascial pain syndrome.Pressure pain threshold (PPT) was used for the primary outcome measure of the study, and pain intensity, pain tolerance and short form (SF-36) were used for secondary outcome measures.

The patients were divided into two groups as dry needling and localized vibration using the permuted block randomization method. The study was completed with 20 (17 women, 3 men) in the dry needling group and 20 in localized vibration (15 women, 5 men). In both applications, a total of 3 sessions were made to the patients at 1-day intervals.Patients' age, gender, duration of pain, localization, presence of additional disease, drug use were questioned and recorded. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) was used for the primary outcome measure of the study, and pain intensity, pain tolerance and short form (SF-36) were used for secondary outcome measures. All evaluation criteria except SF-36 were made before, immediately after and 1 day after each session, 1 week after the last session. SF-36 was evaluated before the 1st session treatment, after the 3rd session treatment and 1 week after the 3rd session treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least one active myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle
• Symptoms lasting 1 day to 2 weeks
• Cases who did not receive any physical therapy or medication to relieve pain

Exclusion Criteria:

• Sensory defect in the area to be treated with vibration
• Active inflammatory, rheumatological or infectious disease
• Peripheral nerve lesions such as polyneuropathy, radiculopathy
• Having a cardiac disorder (rhythm / conduction disorder, cardiac pacemaker, ischemic heart disease)
• Diagnosis of fibromyalgia or other common musculoskeletal pain syndromes with an intact skin surface in the area to be vibrated
• Patients with a history of panic attacks