Immediate Effects of Simultaneous Application of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Ultrasound Phonophoresis on Active Myofascial Trigger Points: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The effect of therapeutic physical modalities on pain, function, and quality of life in patients with myofascial pain syndrome: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, which is characterised by myofascial trigger points. Therapeutic physical modalities, as potentially effective treatment options, are commonly used in the clinical setting for the patients with MPS.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of therapeutic physical modalities in the treatment of MPS, investigate its therapeutic mechanisms and provide a scientific evidence-based decision.

METHODS

According to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, the PubMed, Cochrane Central Library, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched for randomized controlled clinical studies published from database inception to October 30, 2022. A total of 25 articles met the study inclusion criteria. Data were extracted from these studies and a qualitative analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, laser therapy, and other therapeutic physical modalities have been demonstrated to improve the pain symptoms, joint mobility, psychological state, and quality of life in the patients with MPS and no side effects have been reported. The curative effect of therapeutic physical modalities was found to be possibly associated with increased blood perfusion and oxygen supply in ischaemic tissues, reduced hyperalgesia in the peripheral and central nerves, and decreased involuntary muscle contractions.

CONCLUSION

The systematic review has shown that therapeutic physical modalities could provide a safe and effective therapeutic option for MPS. However, the consensus is currently lacking regarding the optimal treatment paradigm, therapeutic parameters, and mutual combination of therapeutic physical modalities. The clinical trials with robust quality are required to further promote the evidence-based application of therapeutic physical modalities for MPS.

Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Rational Use of Topical Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs for Musculoskeletal Pain (2022)

(1) Background: Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the primary drugs for treating musculoskeletal pain. However, there are currently no evidence-based recommendations about drug selection, drug administration, drug interactions, and use in special populations or other pharmacology-related content of such medications. To this end, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association Hospital Pharmacy Professional Committee developed multidisciplinary guidelines on using topical NSAIDs to treat musculoskeletal pain. (2) Methods: The guidelines development process followed the World Health Organization guideline development handbook, the GRADE methodology, and the statement of Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare. The guideline panel used the Delphi method to identify six clinical questions to be addressed in the guidelines. An independent systematic review team conducted a systematic search and integration of evidence. (3) Results: Based on the balance between the benefits and harms of an intervention, the quality of the evidence, patient preferences and values, and resource utilization, the guideline panel developed 11 recommendations and nine expert consensuses on using topical NSAIDs to treat acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. (4) Conclusions: Based on the effectiveness and overall safety of topical NSAIDs, we recommend patients with musculoskeletal pain use topical NSAIDs and suggest high-risk patients use topical NSAIDs, such as those with other diseases or receiving other concurrent treatments. The evidenced-based guidelines on topical NSAIDs for musculoskeletal pain incorporated a pharmacist perspective. The guidelines have the potential to facilitate the rational use of topical NSAIDs. The guideline panel will monitor the relevant evidence and update the recommendations accordingly.

Efficacy of Fu's Subcutaneous Needling in Treating Soft Tissue Pain of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Purpose: Fu’s subcutaneous needling (FSN) is a new acupuncture technique that produces a long-lasting effect in soft-tissue injuries. In patients with degenerative knee osteoarthritis (OA), myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are common in the lower-limb muscles. In this randomized clinical trial, we evaluated the immediate, 1-week and 2-week effectiveness of FSN therapy in the treatment of degenerative knee OA. Patients and methods: We randomly divided 32 patients with knee OA into the FSN group (mean age: 65.73 ± 6.79 years) or the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) group (mean age: 62.81 ± 5.72 years). The pressure pain threshold (PPT) and tissue hardness (TH) of the muscle and tendon attachment sites, knee range of motion, and physical ability (average walking speed) were measured. The subjective pain intensity index, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index (WOMAC), and Lequesne index were used to determine the efficacy of FSN on MTrP-induced soft-tissue pain compared with that of TENS. Results: A significantly greater improvement in pain qualities in the VAS (p < 0.05) was found in the FSN group. Moreover, in muscle and tendon qualities (including PPT and TH), a significant difference in the PPT of the quadriceps muscle (p < 0.05) was also observed among the immediate treatments in the FSN group. As for the functional index questionnaire assessment, the FSN group exhibited significant improvements among the immediate, 1-week and 2-week efficacies in terms of WOMAC (p < 0.05) and Lequesne index scores (p < 0.05). Conclusion: FSN was effective in treating soft-tissue pain in degenerative knee OA in terms of alleviating pain, strengthening walking ability, and improving overall functional performance. Pain relief was the primary benefit of FSN and a significant correlation between pain relief and knee joint mobility improvement was found. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System (registration number: NCT04356651).

Characterising the Features of 381 Clinical Studies Evaluating Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for Pain Relief: A Secondary Analysis of the Meta-TENS Study to Improve Future Research

Background and Objectives: Characterising the features of methodologies, clinical attributes and intervention protocols, of studies is valuable to advise directions for research and practice. This article reports the findings of a secondary analysis of the features from studies screened as part of a large systematic review of TENS (the meta-TENS study). Materials and Methods: A descriptive analysis was performed on information associated with methodology, sample populations and intervention protocols from 381 randomised controlled trials (24,532 participants) evaluating TENS delivered at a strong comfortable intensity at the painful site in adults with pain, irrespective of diagnosis. Results: Studies were conducted in 43 countries commonly using parallel group design (n = 334) and one comparator group (n = 231). Mean ± standard deviation (SD) study sample size (64.05 ± 58.29 participants) and TENS group size (27.67 ± 21.90 participants) were small, with only 13 of 381 studies having 100 participants or more in the TENS group. Most TENS interventions were ‘high frequency’ (>10 pps, n = 276) and using 100 Hz (109/353 reports that stated a pulse frequency value). Of 476 comparator groups, 54.2% were active treatments (i.e., analgesic medication(s), exercise, manual therapies and electrophysical agents). Of 202 placebo comparator groups, 155 used a TENS device that did not deliver currents. At least 216 of 383 study groups were able to access other treatments whilst receiving TENS. Only 136 out of 381 reports included a statement about adverse events. Conclusions: Clinical studies on TENS are dominated by small parallel group evaluations of high frequency TENS that are often contaminated by concurrent treatment(s). Study reports tended focus on physiological and clinical implications rather than the veracity of methodology and findings. Previously published criteria for designing and reporting TENS studies were neglected and this should be corrected in future research using insights gleaned from this analysis.

Efficacy of Fu's Subcutaneous Needling on Myofascial Trigger Points for Lateral Epicondylalgia: A Randomized Control Trial

Lateral epicondylalgia (LE), a common overuse syndrome of the extensor muscle and tendons on the lateral epicondyle, causes persistent severe musculoskeletal pain on the outer part of the elbow. Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN), a newly invented subtype of acupuncture and dry needling, is a new trend and potential treatment of LE by targeting the myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). However, no scientific evidence is available to support this method. This study aims to evaluate the distal FSN treatment on the LE by measuring pain-related scales, such as visual analog scale (VAS), pressure pain threshold (PPT), muscle tissue hardness (TH), pain-free grip (PFG), and the functional outcome by a patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) questionnaire study. A total of 60 LE patients were randomly divided into FSN (n = 30) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS, n = 30) as the control group. Every subject was treated with three regimens and followed up for 15 days. Results showed that FSN has an immediate effect on VAS, PPT, TH, and PFG. Moreover, sustained effects on pain relief were followed up to 15 days. Pain remission was consistent with long-term PRTEE results. Overall, FSN is a safe and efficient therapy option for LE, significantly improving pain relief and activity difficulty with immediate, short-term, and long-term effectiveness. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03605563.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Versus Phonophoresis Therapy for Neck Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the effects of using Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ECSWT) and phonophoresis therapy on pain and neck disability in patients with neck myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).

METHODS

Forty eligible patients were randomly divided into two groups of ECSWT (received three sessions of ECSWT, once a week for three weeks) and phonophoresis (received ultrasound using hydrocortisone gel 1% over the trigger point on trapezius muscle, three times a week for three weeks). Patients in both groups received the same stretching exercise program and drug regimen during the intervention.

RESULTS

Pain and NDI scores in both groups were significantly improved at the end of the treatment and four weeks later. At the end of the treatment, the pain score was similar between the groups. Four weeks after the treatment, the pain score in the ECSWT group was significantly lower than in the phonophoresis group (P-value = 0.030). The NDI score was not significantly different between the groups at the end of the treatment. However, four weeks after the treatment, the NDI score was significantly lower in the ECSWT group than in the phonophoresis group (P-value=0.032). The trend of changes in the pain and NDI scores was not significantly different between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Both phonophoresis and ECSWT groups effectively decreased pain and neck disability in patients with MPS, with the superiority of ECSWT with a more lasting effect for a month after the end of the treatment.

Criteria Used for the Diagnosis of Myofascial Trigger Points in Clinical Trials on Physical Therapy: Updated Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to conduct an updated systematic review of diagnostic criteria for myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) used in clinical trials of physical therapy interventions from 2007 to 2019.

METHODS

MEDLINE and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) were searched using the following MeSH keywords: "trigger points," "trigger point," "myofascial trigger point," "myofascial trigger points," "myofascial pain," and "myofascial pain syndrome." The MeSH keywords were combined by using Boolean operators "OR"/"AND." All physiotherapy clinical trials including patients with musculoskeletal conditions characterized by at least 1 active MTrP or latent MTrP in any body area were selected. We pooled data from an individual criterion and criteria combinations used to diagnose MTrPs. The protocol was developed in accordance with the PRISMA-P guidelines.

RESULTS

Of 478 possibly relevant publications, 198 met the inclusion criteria. Of these 198 studies, 129 studies (65.1%) stated specifically the diagnostic criteria used for MTrPs in the main text, 56 studies (28.3%) failed to report any method whereby MTrP was diagnosed, and 13 studies (6.6%) adopted expert-based definitions for MTrPs without specification. Of 129 studies, the 6 criteria applied most commonly were: "spot tenderness" (n=125, 96.9%), "referred pain" (95, 73.6%), "local twitch response" (63, 48.8%), pain recognition (59, 45.7%), limited range of motion" (29, 22.5%), and "jump sign" (10, 7.8%). Twenty-three combinations of diagnostic criteria were identified. The most frequently used combination was "spot tenderness," "referred pain," and "local twitch response" (n=28 studies, 22%).

CONCLUSIONS

A number of the included studies failed in properly reporting the MTrP diagnostic criteria. Moreover, high variability in the use of MTrP diagnostic was also observed. Spot tenderness, referred pain, and local twitch response were the 3 most popular criteria (and the most frequently used combination). A lack of transparency in the reporting of MTrP diagnostic criteria is present in the literature.

REGISTRY

This systematic review was registered under the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, PROSPERO number: CRD42018087420.

The Role of Ultrasound Therapy in the Management of Musculoskeletal Soft Tissue Pain

Ultrasound is an invaluable physical modality widely used for diagnosis and therapy in humans and animals. It is noninvasive, atraumatic, and may be used repeatedly. As a therapeutic tool, ultrasound has been in use for some 6 decades. Therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) is used for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, including acute soft tissue injuries, overuse syndromes, as well as chronic orthopedic and rheumatologic conditions. The aim of this review was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of TUS in musculoskeletal acute and chronic pain, mainly through the control of inflammation and the promotion of soft tissue injury healing. Based on the evidence presented, TUS is clinically effective in some musculoskeletal soft tissue pain conditions, but due to conflicting results in some studies, no specific positive recommendations can be made, nor does it permit exclusion of TUS from clinical practice. In phonophoresis, TUS plays a significant role, without reported adverse effects. There is scope for improving the evidence base with better designed studies.

Efficacy of diclofenac & thiocolchioside gel phonophoresis comparison with ultrasound therapy on acute low back pain; a prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical study

PURPOSE

To investigate the effect of Phonophoresis (PP) with the combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) and myorelaxant versus routine Ultrasound (US) treatment with non-therapeutic gel on the patients with acute low back pain (ABP).

METHODS

Sixty patients with ABP were randomly assigned into 2 groups. In Group 1 (n = 30) US was applied using diclofenac + Thiocolchicoside gel for 10 min and for a total of 10 sessions. In Group 2 (n = 30) the same US protocol was applied with the same setting and timing with Group 1 using US gel that does not contain any pharmaceutical ingredient. Evaluation parameters were Visual numeric scale (VNS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Shober test.

RESULTS

Comparison of the results obtained from the two groups before treatment and at second (W2) and sixth weeks (W6) posttreatment showed significant improvement in all parameters in both groups (p < 0.05). Comparison of the groups showed significantly superior improvement in Group 1 for ODI while there was no difference in other parameters at W2. At W6, there was significantly superior improvement in all parameters (p < 0.05) except for Shober test in Group1.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that PP treatment is superior than conventional US therapy at short term in ABP patients.

Comparative short-term effectiveness of ibuprofen gel and cream phonophoresis in patients with knee osteoarthritis

The objective of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of gel and cream ibuprofen phonophoresis in patients with knee osteoarthritis. A single-blinded, randomized, comparative design was applied. Patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria were included in the study. After obtaining written informed consent, patients were randomized into ibuprofen gel and cream phonophoresis groups. Each patient was treated five sessions per week for 2 weeks (ten sessions). Main outcome measures were 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and the disease-specific questionnaire; Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Sixty-one knee osteoarthritis patients with a mean age of 57.9 ± 9.7 years were included in the study. Baseline VAS and WOMAC scores were similar between gel (n = 30) and cream (n = 31) phonophoresis groups (p > 0.05 for both). Following the treatment, both groups showed improvement compared to baseline measures including VAS pain and WOMAC scores. In the gel phonophoresis group, the improvement in VAS score was higher than that observed in the cream phonophoresis group (p < 0.001). Similarly, the improvement in WOMAC total score was also higher in the gel phonophoresis group (p < 0.001). Ibuprofen phonophoresis is clinically effective in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Phonophoresis using the gel form of ibuprofen is associated with more clinical improvement than that using the cream form of the same molecule.