Background: Non-specific shoulder pain has a high prevalence in older adults and provokes functional alterations. Besides, there are difficulties for its clinical diagnosis, lack of effectiveness in the treatment and not much evidence is found regarding invasive physical therapy techniques in this population. Purpose: To determine the efficacy of a single physical therapy intervention with deep dry needling on latent and active myofascial trigger points in older adults with non-specific shoulder pain. Methods: Pilot Study, Single Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial on 60 subjects aged 65 and over, will be diagnosed with nonspecific shoulder pain. The study will be approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the area. Sample will be recruited at their home and at a care center, and randomly will be distributed in Experimental Group (n=30), which will be received a session of Deep Dry Needling on an active and a latent Myofascial Trigger Points of the infraspinatus muscle; and Control Group (n=30), receiving a session of Deep Dry Needling only on an active Myofascial Trigger Point. A blind examiner will be evaluated Pain Intensity, Pain Pressure Threshold (anterior deltoid; extensor carpi radialis brevis) and Grip Strength, before, immediately after intervention and after a week of treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
66
University of Alcala
Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Change from baseline in Pain Intensity on the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at 5 minutes
Pain Intensity was measured with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of 11 points (interval of 0-10), where 0 corresponds to no pain and 10 corresponds to the worst pain imaginable. In order to show a parametric analysis of the obtained data, a graphical representation of 11 spaces describes levels for the discrimination of the patient. The subjects will be asked to determine the subjective pain intensity of the painful shoulder using a finger.
Time frame: Baseline, 5 minutes
Change from baseline in Pain Pressure Threshold of anterior deltoid at 5 minutes
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) will be measured with a WAGNER FDK/FDN Series Force Dial Fisher type analogue algometer (Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, USA) which varies between 0-10 kg/cm2. After indicating the most hyperalgesic latent Myofascial Trigger Point (MTrP) of anterior deltoid muscle (located in referred pain area and with the same C5-6 segmentary innervation levels), examiner will determine PPT of such point.
Time frame: Baseline, 5 minutes
Change from baseline in Maximum Grip Strength at 5 minutes
Maximum grip strength, defined as the maximum isometric muscular force in kg used in the manual pressure of a hydraulic dynamometer, will be measured with a JAMAR type hydraulic manual analogical dynamometer with an interval of 0-90kg to objectify the weakness of latent Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) of the forearm. According to the fatigability of older adults, a single measurement will be performed to measure the manual grip strength.
Time frame: Baseline, 5 minutes
Change from baseline in Pressure Pain Threshold of extensor carpi radialis brevis at 5 minutes
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) will be measured with a WAGNER FDK/FDN Series Force Dial Fisher type analogue algometer (Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, USA) which varies between 0-10 kg/cm2. After indicating the most hyperalgesic latent Myofascial Trigger Point (MTrP) of extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle (located in referred pain area and with the same C5-6 segmentary innervation levels), examiner will determine PPT of such point.
Time frame: Baseline, 5 minutes
Change from baseline in Pain Intensity on the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at 1 week
Pain Intensity was measured with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) of 11 points (interval of 0-10), where 0 corresponds to no pain and 10 corresponds to the worst pain imaginable. In order to show a parametric analysis of the obtained data, a graphical representation of 11 spaces describes levels for the discrimination of the patient. The subjects will be asked to determine the subjective pain intensity of the painful shoulder using a finger.
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week
Change from baseline in Pressure Pain Threshold of anterior deltoid at 1 week
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) will be measured with a WAGNER FDK/FDN Series Force Dial Fisher type analogue algometer (Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, USA) which varies between 0-10 kg/cm2. After indicating the most hyperalgesic latent Myofascial Trigger Point (MTrP) of anterior deltoid muscle (located in referred pain area and with the same C5-6 segmentary innervation levels), examiner will determine PPT of such point.
Time frame: Baseline,1 week
Change from baseline in Maximum Grip Strength at 1 week
Maximum grip strength, defined as the maximum isometric muscular force in kg used in the manual pressure of a hydraulic dynamometer, will be measured with a JAMAR type hydraulic manual analogical dynamometer with an interval of 0-90kg to objectify the weakness of latent Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) of the forearm. According to the fatigability of older adults, a single measurement will be performed to measure the manual grip strength.
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week
Change from baseline in Pressure Pain Threshold of extensor carpi radialis brevis at 1 week
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) will be measured with a WAGNER FDK/FDN Series Force Dial Fisher type analogue algometer (Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, USA) which varies between 0-10 kg/cm2. After indicating the most hyperalgesic latent Myofascial Trigger Point (MTrP) of extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle (located in referred pain area and with the same C5-6 segmentary innervation levels), examiner will determine PPT of such point.
Time frame: Baseline, 1 week
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