Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of dry needling into a myofascial trigger point
(MTrP) in the lower trapezius muscle of patients with mechanical idiopathic neck
pain. DESIGN: A single-center, randomized, double-blinded controlled study.
SETTING: Patients were recruited from the student population of a local hospital
by advertisement in the university clinic from January 2010 to December 2011.
PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=72) with unilateral neck pain, neck pain for >/=3
months, and active trigger points in the lower trapezius muscle were randomly
assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups. All the patients completed the study.
INTERVENTIONS: Dry needling in an MTrP in the lower trapezius muscle, or dry
needling in the lower trapezius muscle but not at an MTrP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
The visual analog scale (VAS), Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ), and pressure-pain
threshold (PPT) were assessed before the intervention and 1 week and 1 month
postintervention. RESULTS: Treatment with dry needling of the lower trapezius
muscle close to the MTrP showed decreases in pain and PPT as well as an
improvement in the degree of disability (P<.001) compared with the baseline and
control group measurements (P<.001). The dry-needling technique performed in the
MTrP showed more significant therapeutic effects (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The
application of dry needling into an active MTrP of the lower trapezius muscle
induces significant changes in the VAS, NPQ, and PPT levels compared with the
application of dry needling in other locations of the same muscle in patients
with mechanical neck pain.
CI - Copyright (c) 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS