Efficacy of Focused ESWT and Dry Needling Among Patients With Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the Upper Trapezius Muscle

The Comparative Efficacy of Focused Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy and Dry Needling Among Patients With Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the Upper Trapezius Muscle, a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is one of the most common causes of musculoskeletal pain. Among patients with MPS, the upper trapezius muscle appears to be the common muscle that generates pain in the area of upper extremity. The main target treatment for MPS is to eradicate the painful trigger points by using treatment options, such as ultrasound, laser, and dry needling (DN). In the past decade, focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy (fESWT) has become the well-known treatment for pain relief in various musculoskeletal pain conditions. The main advantages of this non-invasive treatment modality are reducing pain, inflammation and promoting tissue healing. However, there were no previous studies compared effects of fESWT to dry needling. Therefore, the present study aims to compare the efficacy of the two treatments in terms of pain reduction and functional improvement.

• This study is a single-blinded non-inferiority randomized controlled trial that will compare the efficacy of fESWT to DN in terms of pain reduction and functional improvement in patients with MPS of the upper trapezius.
• 58 patients will be recruited for the study and randomly allocated to 2 groups, mainly fESWT and DN.
• For the fESWT group, the participants will receive fESWT once a week, for a total of 3 sessions, consecutively. While the participants in the DN group will receive DN at the painful trigger point for 1 session. Moreover, both groups will receive the same conservative treatment, for example, education, exercise, and behavioral modification advice.
• The primary outcome is Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the secondary outcomes are Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT) and Neck Disability Index (NDI) which will be recorded at baseline, 1 week, 3 week, and 6 week from baseline.
• Statistical analysis will be performed using Stata to detect statistically significant changes in the same group and differences between the two groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The participant who is diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome based on the criteria listed below:

The trigger point must be in a taut band of the upper trapezius muscle. The trigger point in the muscle is hypersensitivity to pain. Pain radiates to the specific pattern of the upper trapezius muscle. When pressure is applied to the trigger point, the participant perceives the same pain sensation as their pain complaint.

• The participant who has a VAS score of > or = 5 points
• The participant who has had myofascial pain for > or = 3 months

Exclusion Criteria: The participant who has

• Unresolved neurological or musculoskeletal problems, such as fibromyalgia, cervical radiculopathy, and cervical spine fracture.
• History of cervical spine or shoulder surgery
• Uncontrolled underlying diseases, such as psychological problems, cancer, or acute renal or hepatic failure
• Received treatment by other physical modalities or steroid injection into the trigger point within 3 months, or was treated by analgesic drugs within 2 weeks.
• Contraindicated to ESWT or DN
• Refuse to attend the study