Combining Patient Education With Dry Needling and Ischemic Compression for Treating Myofascial Trigger Points in Office Workers With Neck Pain: A Single-Blinded, Randomized Trial
Khadijeh Otadi, Hadi Sarafraz, Shohreh Jalaie, Omid Rasouli
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare immediate and short-term effects of combining dray needling (DN) + patient education vs ischemic compression (IC) + patient education for treating myofascial trigger points (MTP) in office workers with neck pain. METHODS: This was a single-blinded, randomized trial. Thirty-two participants were randomly assigned to either DN + patient education or IC + patient education group. Both groups received 2 treatment sessions with a 48-hour time interval. Pain intensity, cervical range of motion, Neck Disability Index, and satisfaction were measured. RESULTS: Pain intensity and neck disability level decreased, whereas the cervical range of motion (side-bending and rotation) increased in both groups. Analysis of variance revealed a significant interaction of group × treatment only for pain intensity, indicating a greater reduction in the IC group. Satisfaction generally increased in the follow-up assessment in both groups. CONCLUSION: Both intervention groups had some positive immediate and short-term effects after 2 treatment sessions. However, IC + patient education was more effective than DN + patient education in the treatment of MTPs in office workers with neck pain.