Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical Trial
Background: Chronic neck pain (CNP) may be associated with latent myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the levator scapulae (LS), which can be treated with ischemic compression (IC) and dry needling (DN). Variables and elastography changes are evaluated to compare the short-term efficacy of two trea...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/19/6136 |
| _version_ | 1797575669993963520 |
|---|---|
| author | Jorge Velázquez Saornil Zacarías Sánchez Milá Angélica Campón Chekroun José Manuel Barragán Casas Raúl Frutos Llanes David Rodríguez Sanz |
| author_facet | Jorge Velázquez Saornil Zacarías Sánchez Milá Angélica Campón Chekroun José Manuel Barragán Casas Raúl Frutos Llanes David Rodríguez Sanz |
| author_sort | Jorge Velázquez Saornil |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Chronic neck pain (CNP) may be associated with latent myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the levator scapulae (LS), which can be treated with ischemic compression (IC) and dry needling (DN). Variables and elastography changes are evaluated to compare the short-term efficacy of two treatments with DN. Methods: A randomized clinical trial is conducted with 80 participants in two groups: the DN group (<i>n</i> = 40) and IC group (<i>n</i> = 40). The duration is 12 weeks, and mechanical heterogeneity index, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and pain intensity are measured at baseline, immediately after, 48 h after, and one week after treatment. Results: Statistically significant changes were immediately observed between the two groups: PPT decreased in the DN group (<i>p</i> = 0.05), while it increased in the IC group. At 48 h and one week after treatment, these values increased in the DN group and remained higher than in the IC group. The heterogeneity index improved in both groups but more significantly in the DN group than in the IC group. Conclusions: In subjects with CNP who had latent plus hyperalgesic MTrPs in the LS muscle, DN outperformed IC in PPT, pain intensity, and mechanical heterogeneity index at 48 h and one week after initiating therapy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:42:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b000217eb6241498b1bceb34c0c53ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:42:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b000217eb6241498b1bceb34c0c53ed2023-11-19T14:34:35ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832023-09-011219613610.3390/jcm12196136Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical TrialJorge Velázquez Saornil0Zacarías Sánchez Milá1Angélica Campón Chekroun2José Manuel Barragán Casas3Raúl Frutos Llanes4David Rodríguez Sanz5NEUMUSK Group Research, Department of Physiotherapy, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Ávila, 05005 Ávila, SpainNEUMUSK Group Research, Department of Physiotherapy, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Ávila, 05005 Ávila, SpainCampus San Jerónimo Guadalupe, Universidad Católica de Murcia, 30830 Murcia, SpainNEUMUSK Group Research, Department of Physiotherapy, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Ávila, 05005 Ávila, SpainNEUMUSK Group Research, Department of Physiotherapy, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Ávila, 05005 Ávila, SpainFacultad de Enfermería, Fisioterapia y Podología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28005 Madrid, SpainBackground: Chronic neck pain (CNP) may be associated with latent myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the levator scapulae (LS), which can be treated with ischemic compression (IC) and dry needling (DN). Variables and elastography changes are evaluated to compare the short-term efficacy of two treatments with DN. Methods: A randomized clinical trial is conducted with 80 participants in two groups: the DN group (<i>n</i> = 40) and IC group (<i>n</i> = 40). The duration is 12 weeks, and mechanical heterogeneity index, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and pain intensity are measured at baseline, immediately after, 48 h after, and one week after treatment. Results: Statistically significant changes were immediately observed between the two groups: PPT decreased in the DN group (<i>p</i> = 0.05), while it increased in the IC group. At 48 h and one week after treatment, these values increased in the DN group and remained higher than in the IC group. The heterogeneity index improved in both groups but more significantly in the DN group than in the IC group. Conclusions: In subjects with CNP who had latent plus hyperalgesic MTrPs in the LS muscle, DN outperformed IC in PPT, pain intensity, and mechanical heterogeneity index at 48 h and one week after initiating therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/19/6136chronic neck painmyofascial pain syndromemanual therapiestrigger pointsultrasound elastographyphysiotherapy techniques |
| spellingShingle | Jorge Velázquez Saornil Zacarías Sánchez Milá Angélica Campón Chekroun José Manuel Barragán Casas Raúl Frutos Llanes David Rodríguez Sanz Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical Trial Journal of Clinical Medicine chronic neck pain myofascial pain syndrome manual therapies trigger points ultrasound elastography physiotherapy techniques |
| title | Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical Trial |
| title_full | Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical Trial |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical Trial |
| title_short | Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Ischaemic Trigger Point Compression of the Levator Scapulae in Patients with Chronic Neck Pain: A Short-Term Randomized Clinical Trial |
| title_sort | effectiveness of dry needling and ischaemic trigger point compression of the levator scapulae in patients with chronic neck pain a short term randomized clinical trial |
| topic | chronic neck pain myofascial pain syndrome manual therapies trigger points ultrasound elastography physiotherapy techniques |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/19/6136 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jorgevelazquezsaornil effectivenessofdryneedlingandischaemictriggerpointcompressionofthelevatorscapulaeinpatientswithchronicneckpainashorttermrandomizedclinicaltrial AT zacariassanchezmila effectivenessofdryneedlingandischaemictriggerpointcompressionofthelevatorscapulaeinpatientswithchronicneckpainashorttermrandomizedclinicaltrial AT angelicacamponchekroun effectivenessofdryneedlingandischaemictriggerpointcompressionofthelevatorscapulaeinpatientswithchronicneckpainashorttermrandomizedclinicaltrial AT josemanuelbarragancasas effectivenessofdryneedlingandischaemictriggerpointcompressionofthelevatorscapulaeinpatientswithchronicneckpainashorttermrandomizedclinicaltrial AT raulfrutosllanes effectivenessofdryneedlingandischaemictriggerpointcompressionofthelevatorscapulaeinpatientswithchronicneckpainashorttermrandomizedclinicaltrial AT davidrodriguezsanz effectivenessofdryneedlingandischaemictriggerpointcompressionofthelevatorscapulaeinpatientswithchronicneckpainashorttermrandomizedclinicaltrial |