Remote Influences of Acupuncture on the Pain Intensity and the Amplitude Changes of Endplate Noise in the Myofascial Trigger Point of the Upper Trapezius Muscle
Abstract
Chou L-W, Hsieh Y-L, Kao M-J, Hong C-Z. Remote influences of acupuncture on the pain intensity and the amplitude changes of endplate noise in the myofascial trigger point of the upper trapezius muscle.
Objective
To investigate the remote effect of acupuncture on the pain intensity and the endplate noise (EPN) recorded from a myofascial trigger point (MTrP) of the upper trapezius muscle.
Design
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting
University hospital.
Participants
Patients (N=20) with active MTrPs in upper trapezius muscles and no experience in acupuncture therapy.
Interventions
Patients were divided into 2 groups. Those in the control group received sham acupuncture, and those in the acupuncture group received modified acupuncture therapy with needle insertion into multiple loci to elicit local twitch responses. The acupuncture points of Wai-guan and Qu-chi were treated.
Main Outcome Measures
Subjective pain intensity (numerical pain rating scale) and mean EPN amplitude in the MTrP of the upper trapezius muscle.
Results
The pain intensity in the MTrP was significantly reduced after remote acupuncture (from 7.4±0.8 to 3.3±1.1; P<.001), but not after sham acupuncture (from 7.4±0.8 to 7.1±0.9; P>.05). The mean EPN amplitude was significantly lower than the pretreatment level after acupuncture treatment (from 21.3±9.5μV to 9.5±3.5μV; P<.01), but not after sham acupuncture treatment (from 19.6±7.6μV to 19.3±7.8μV; P>.05). The change in the pain intensity was significantly correlated with the change of EPN amplitude (r = 0.685).
Conclusions
Both subjective changes in the pain intensity and objective changes of the EPN amplitude in the MTrP region of the upper trapezius muscle were found during and after acupuncture treatment at the remote ipsilateral acupuncture points. This study may further clarify the physiological basis of the remote effectiveness of acupuncture therapy for pain control.
aDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
bSchool of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
cDepartment of Physical Therapy and Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
dDepartment of Physical Therapy, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan
eDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Correspondence to Chang-Zern Hong, MD, Dept of Physical Therapy, Hungkuang University, 34 Chung-Chie Rd, Shalu, Taichung, Taiwan
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.
ABSTRACT