Short-term effects of acupuncture and stretching on myofascial trigger point pain of the neck: a blinded, placebo-controlled RCT
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 09/29/2014 Clinical Article
Wilke J, et al. – This trial aimed to evaluate the short–term effectiveness of acupuncture plus stretching to reduce pain and improve range of motion in patients afflicted by cervical myofascial pain syndrome. The combination of acupuncture and stretching could represent a suitable treatment option to improve cervical movement behavior and reduce trigger point pain in the short–term. However, additional studies further discriminating the placebo effects are still warranted.
Methods
- Mechanical pain threshold (MPT, measured with a pressure algometer) represented the primary outcome.
- Secondary outcomes were motion–related pain (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS) and cervical range of motion (ROM, recorded by means of an ultrasonic 3D movement analysis system).
- Outcomes were assessed immediately prior as well as 5, 15 and 30 min post treatment.
- Friedman tests with post hoc Bonferroni–Holm correction were applied to compare differences between treatments.
Results
- Both acupuncture as well as acupuncture plus stretching increased MPT by five, respectively, 11 percent post treatment. However, only acupuncture in combination with stretching was superior to placebo (p < 0.05).
- There were no significant differences between interventions at 15 and 30 min post treatment. VAS did not differ between treatments at any measurement.
- Five minutes after application of acupuncture plus stretching, ROM was significantly increased in the frontal and the transversal plane compared to placebo (p < 0.05).
Short-term effects of acupuncture and stretching on myofascial trigger point pain of the neck: A blinded, placebo-controlled RCT
J. Wilke
Highlights
•Single treatment with acupuncture and stretching reduces myofacial neck pain.
•Acupuncture plus stretching also improves range of motion.
•The effects diminish after 15 min.
Summary
Objectives
This trial aimed to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of acupuncture plus stretching to reduce pain and improve range of motion in patients afflicted by cervical myofascial pain syndrome.
Design
Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study.
Intervention
Nineteen patients (11 females, eight males, 33 ± 14 years) with myofascial neck pain in randomized order received the following treatments with one week washout between: acupuncture, acupuncture plus stretching, and placebo laser acupuncture.
Main outcome measures
Mechanical pain threshold (MPT, measured with a pressure algometer) represented the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were motion-related pain (Visual Analogue Scale, VAS) and cervical range of motion (ROM, recorded by means of an ultrasonic 3D movement analysis system). Outcomes were assessed immediately prior as well as 5, 15 and 30 min post treatment. Friedman tests with post hoc Bonferroni–Holm correction were applied to compare differences between treatments.
Results
Both acupuncture as well as acupuncture plus stretching increased MPT by five, respectively, 11 percent post treatment. However, only acupuncture in combination with stretching was superior to placebo (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between interventions at 15 and 30 min post treatment. VAS did not differ between treatments at any measurement. Five minutes after application of acupuncture plus stretching, ROM was significantly increased in the frontal and the transversal plane compared to placebo (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
The combination of acupuncture and stretching could represent a suitable treatment option to improve cervical movement behavior and reduce trigger point pain in the short-term. However, additional studies further discriminating the placebo effects are still warranted.