Abstract
Objectives
To determine (1) whether the shear modulus in upper trapezius muscle myofascial trigger
points (MTrPs) reduces acutely after dry needling (DN), and (2) whether a change in
posture from sitting to prone affects the shear modulus.
Design
Ultrasound images were acquired in B mode with a linear transducer oriented in the
transverse plane, followed by performance of shear-wave elastography (SWE) before
and after DN and while sitting and prone.
Setting
University.
Participants
Women (N=7; mean age ± SD, 46±17y) with palpable MTrPs were recruited.
Intervention
All participants were dry needled in the prone position using solid filament needles
that were inserted and manipulated inside the MTrPs. SWE was performed before and
after DN in the sitting and prone positions.
Main Outcome Measure
MTrPs were evaluated by shear modulus using SWE.
Results
Palpable reductions in stiffness were noted after DN and in the prone position. These
changes were apparent in the shear modulus map obtained with ultrasound SWE. With
significant main effects, the shear modulus reduced from before to after DN (P<.01) and from the sitting to the prone position (P<.05). No significant interaction effect between time and posture was observed.
Conclusions
The shear modulus measured with ultrasound SWE reduced after DN and in the prone position
compared with sitting, in agreement with reductions in palpable stiffness. These findings
suggest that DN and posture have significant effects on the shear modulus of MTrPs,
and that shear modulus measurement with ultrasound SWE may be sensitive enough to
detect these effects.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
ANOVA (analysis of variance), LTR (local twitch response), MTrPs (myofascial trigger points)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 16, 2013
Footnotes
Current affiliation for Maher, Division of Physical Therapy, Shenandoah University, Winchester, VA
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has conferred or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
