Liu L, Huang QM, Liu QG, Ye G, Bo CZ, Chen MJ, Li P Effectiveness of dry needling for myofascial trigger points associated with neck and shoulder pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015 May;96(5):944-55. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.12.015. Epub 2015 Jan 7. Review.
Pilgrim J, Engelke Z Patient Education: Teaching the patient about myofascial pain syndrome. CINAHL Nursing Guide. December 8, 2017;Available from: Nursing Reference Center Plus, Ipswich, MA. Accessed April 13, 2018.
Rock JM, Rainey CE Treatment of nonspecific thoracic spine pain with trigger point dry needling and intramuscular electrical stimulation: a case series. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2014 Oct;9(5):699-711.
Rate and Maintenance of Improvement in Myofascial Pain: Dry Needling Alone vs Dry Needling With Intramuscular Electrical Stimulation
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
