Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
| NCT number |
NCT05524623 |
| Other study ID # |
3926 |
| Secondary ID |
|
| Status |
Completed |
| Phase |
N/A
|
| First received |
|
| Last updated |
|
| Start date |
August 16, 2022 |
| Est. completion date |
March 30, 2023 |
Study information
| Verified date |
April 2023 |
| Source |
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba |
| Contact |
n/a |
| Is FDA regulated |
No |
| Health authority |
|
| Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is initial to other pathologies such as neck pain or tension
headaches; the symptoms that are located on the area of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) of
specific references in different muscles. MTrPs are palpable, tense bands found in stiff
muscle that cause pain and swelling. They affect the disruptive soft tissues, resulting in
deterioration of the muscle and fascia; effects that can be transferred further, through the
myofascial chain to distant tissues, inducing the referred pain that is the main feature of
MPS. MTrPs are treated with stretching, massage, analgesics, acupuncture, dry needling,
electrical stimulation, and ultrasound. Percutaneous microelectrolysis (MEP®) is a new
technique that uses galvanic current of low intensity and high density. Based on the previous
reviews, the investigators consider that the use of MEP in individuals who have MTrPs in the
trapezius is more effective than acupuncture treatment. Objectives: To assess the effect of
MEP as a technique for treating pain in MTrPs of the trapezius muscle compared to without
current emission, analyzing function, pain and strength in MTrPs before and after both
treatments.
Description:
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is initial to other pathologies such as neck pain or tension
headaches; the symptoms that are located on the area of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) of
specific references in different muscles. MTrPs are palpable, tense bands found in stiff
muscle that cause pain and swelling. They affect the disruptive soft tissues, resulting in
deterioration of the muscle and fascia; effects that can be transferred further, through the
myofascial chain to distant tissues, inducing the referred pain that is the main feature of
MPS. MTrPs are treated with stretching, massage, analgesics, acupuncture, dry needling,
electrical stimulation, and ultrasound. Percutaneous microelectrolysis (MEP®) is a new
technique that uses galvanic current of low intensity and high density. Based on the previous
reviews, the investigators consider that the use of MEP in individuals who have MTrPs in the
trapezius is more effective than acupuncture treatment. Objectives: To assess the effect of
MEP as a technique for treating pain in MTrPs of the trapezius muscle compared to without
current emission, analyzing function, pain and strength in MTrPs before and after both
treatments.
Materials and methods: Randomized controlled clinical research. The study population consists
of patients of both sexes between 20 and 60 years of age, with medical referral for neck pain
who do not currently receive physiotherapeutic treatment, pain of at least 1 month of
evolution, presenting on both sides of the trapezius MTrPs muscle and having signed the
informed consent. They will be randomly distributed into: group treated with acupuncture
(control) and group treated with MEP. Both will take place over 3 weeks, with one session per
week. The evaluation is carried out through the visual analogue scale (VAS), measurement of
force with a dynamometer and mobility with a goniometer. The score will be recorded on a
validated neck pain questionnaire (NPQ). The Chi-Square test (test) will be implemented for
the analysis of categorical data and the "t" test for paired data for quantitative
data, based on a significance level of p˂0.05 in all cases.
