Abstract
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)
Myofascial pain syndrome has become a significant cause of chronic pain and disability in today‟s society. Conditions causing chronic pain can not only cause disability due to pain, but can also lead to other problems such as psychological and behavioural disturbances. Physical deconditioning can also occur due to lack of exercise because of myofascial pain (Rachlin, 1994).
The aim of this study was to compare dry needling therapy and ultrasound therapy in the treatment of myofascial trigger points in order to demonstrate any superiority between the two modalities.
Participants for this study were recruited by word of mouth and advertisements that were placed around the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein Campus. Thirty people participated in the trial, all of whom conformed to the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants were randomly placed into two groups. Group A received dry needling therapy, namely the fanning technique, and Group B received ultrasound therapy. Participants in Group A received one treatment per week for four weeks and subjective and objective measurements were taken at each visit. Participants in Group B received two treatments per week for three weeks and measurements were taken at visits one, three, five and seven.
Subjective data was obtained through the use of the Visual Analogue Pain Scale, which measured the perception of pain of the participants. Objective data was obtained from pressure algometer readings, which measured pain pressure thresholds of participants, and through the Cervical Range Of Motion (CROM) device.
The results of this study indicated that dry needling therapy and ultrasound therapy both significantly benefited participants in terms of the treatment of
active myofascial trigger points. Based on the final results, both dry needling therapy and ultrasound therapy are equally effective modalities in the treatment of active myofascial trigger points, with neither modality showing superiority over the other.