Remote Effects of Dry Needling on the Irritability of the... : American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (original) (raw)

Original Research Article: Myofascial Pain

Remote Effects of Dry Needling on the Irritability of the Myofascial Trigger Point in the Upper Trapezius Muscle

Tsai, Chien-Tsung MD; Hsieh, Lin-Fen MD; Kuan, Ta-Shen MD; Kao, Mu-Jung MD; Chou, Li-Wei MD, MS; Hong, Chang-Zern MD

From the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (C-TT), Da-Chien General Hospital, Miao-Li City, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (L-FH), Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital; School of Medicine (L-FH), Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (T-SK), National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (M-JK), Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (L-WC), China Medical University Hospital; School of Chinese Medicine (L-WC), College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Physical Therapy (C-ZH), Hung-Kuang University, Sha Lu, Taichung.

All correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Chang-Zern Hong, MD, Department of Physical Therapy, Hungkuang University, 34 Chung-Chie Road, Shalu, Taichung, Taiwan.

None.

Abstract

Tsai C-T, Hsieh L-F, Kuan T-S, Kao MJ, Chou L-W, Hong C-Z: Remote effects of dry needling on the irritability of the myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle.

Objective:

To investigate the remote effect of dry needling on the irritability of a myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle.

Design:

Thirty-five patients with active myofascial trigger points in upper trapezius muscles were randomly divided into two groups: 18 patients in the control group received sham needling, and 17 patients in the dry-needling group received dry needling into the myofascial trigger point in the extensor carpi radialis longus muscle. The subjective pain intensity, pressure pain threshold, and range of motion of the neck were assessed before and immediately after the treatment.

Results:

Immediately after dry needling in the experimental group, the mean pain intensity was significantly reduced, but the mean pressure threshold and the mean range of motion of cervical spine were significantly increased. There were significantly larger changes in all three parameters of measurement in the dry-needling group than that in the control group.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated the remote effectiveness of dry needling. Dry needling of a distal myofascial trigger point can provide a remote effect to reduce the irritability of a proximal myofascial trigger point.