Myofascial Pain of Upper Trapezius Muscle

This study aimed to compare interfascial block therapy with commonly used exercise therapy and conventional invasive dry needling therapy, and to evaluate its effectiveness and superiority. Another objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the short-term and long-term effectiveness of interfascial block, dry needling, and exercise therapies on pain, disability, and quality of life in patients with myofascial pain syndrome. In this respect, our study is important in terms of its contribution to the literature.

This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of three different treatment protocols in patients diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome of the upper trapezius muscle. A total of 90 volunteers aged between 18 and 65 years, with active trigger points identified in the upper trapezius muscle, will be included in the study. Participants will be randomly assigned to three groups: * Group 1: Dry needling and stretching exercises * Group 2: Dry needling following local anesthetic injection with 1% lidocaine and stretching exercises * Group 3 (Control): Sham dry needling following local anesthetic injection with 1% lidocaine and stretching exercises In all groups, treatment sessions will be administered at weeks 0, 1, 2, and 3; and participants will undergo clinical assessments at baseline (pre-treatment), at the end of treatment, one month after treatment completion, and three months after treatment completion. The primary outcome will be pain severity, measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS); secondary outcomes will include functional status evaluated with the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPADS) and QuickDASH, and muscle tenderness assessed by pressure pain threshold (PPT) measurement. The findings are expected to contribute scientifically to clinical practice by identifying the most effective treatment combination for managing upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome.

In the planned study, we aim to investigate the effectiveness of percutaneous electrolysis treatment applied to myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle in patients with chronic neck pain. Two different protocols, a low-intensity (0.5 mA × 90 s) and a high-intensity (3 mA × 3 s × 3 repetitions), will be compared in the study. Patients participating in the research will be randomized into 2 groups using a computer program. Stretching exercises targeting the upper trapezius muscle will be given to both groups as a home exercise program. In both groups, the percutaneous electrolysis treatment protocol will be performed on the active myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle on the 1st, 8th, and 14th days of treatment, using 0.3-millimeter acupuncture needles and an EPTE® percutaneous electrolysis device (Ionclinics \& A. Deionic SL, Valencia, Spain). The low-intensity (0.5 milliampere × 90 s) treatment protocol will be applied to Group 1, and the high-intensity (3 milliampere × 3 s × 3 repetitions) treatment protocol will be applied to Group 2. In the study, two different protocols, low-intensity (0.5 mA × 90 s) and high-intensity (3 mA × 3 s × 3 repetitions), will be compared. In this way, it is aimed both to obtain information about optimal dosing and to contribute to the literature for a frequently involved muscle such as the upper trapezius.