Authors: N Smania E Corato A Fiaschi P Pietropoli S M Aglioti M Tinazzi
Publish Date: 2005/02/23
Volume: 252, Issue: 3, Pages: 307-314
Abstract
Fifty–three subjects with myofascial trigger points TPs at the level of the superior trapezius muscle were allocated randomly to three groups The first group n = 17 was treated with rMS the second n = 18 with TENS and the third n = 18 received a placebo treatment Each treatment consisted of ten daily 20–minute sessions Patients were evaluated before and immediately following treatment and at one and three months after the end of treatment Outcome measures were the “neck pain and disability visual analogue scale” NPDVAS an algometric evaluation of pain an evaluation of the TP characteristics and the range of cervical bending and rotation contralateral to the affected trapezius muscleAt the end of treatment the rMS group showed a significant improvement in the NPDVAS algometry TP characteristics and cervical contralateral rotation This improvement also persisted at one and three months post–therapy After treatment the TENS group showed significant improvement in the same outcome measures except for algometry At the one month follow–up visit this improvement had returned to non significant levels in all outcome measures with the exception of NPDVAS
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