RELATION BETWEEN THE LOCAL TWITCH RESPONSES AND THE POST-PRESSURE AND POST-NEEDLING SORENESS IN MIOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS

Abstract

 Introduction: dry needling has been advocated as an effective treatment for myofascial trigger points (MTrPs).
Objectives: to determine the effect of deep dry needling on the pressure pain threshold, post-needling soreness and neck lateral flexion of latent MTrPs in the upper trapezius muscle. Material and method: pilot study, randomized, controlled, double blind clinical trial. Participants: 34 subjects (mean age 34.91 years standard deviation: 12.37); 19 males and 15 females were screened for the presence of latent MTrPs in the upper trapezius muscle (tender band that produced referred pain to the neck and/or head on manual pressure). Intervention: subjects were randomly allocated into either treatment (group 1 = 1-2 Local Twich Response (LTR); group 2 = 2-5 (LTR); group 3 = 5-10 (LTR).
Outcome measures: the pressure pain threshold (PPT) using a Fischer pressure algometer and the changes in lateral flexion using a cervical range of motion instrument were both recorded pre-intervention, post-intervention and after 48 hours. The post-needling soreness (PNS) was also measured after the application of dry needling with a verbal numeric scale of pain and was recover post-intervention and after 24 and 48 hours. Results: a significant de-crease of the pain exists after the treatment (p = 0.000) and a significant increase of the mobility (p = 0 .000) that stay at the 48 hours. The (PNS) at the 48 hours is significantly smaller that after the treatment (p = 0.000). Significant differences don't exist among the treatments for the pain threshold, PNS and NECK lateral flexion. Conclusions: the invasive treatment of MTrPs is effective diminishing the pain and increasing the mobility. The PNS seems not to be related with the number of LTR.