Objectives: The purpose of the current randomized clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness of dry needling versus myofascial release therapy on myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in cervical muscles, quality of life, fatigue, quality of sleep, anxiety and depression in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS).
Design: A single-blind randomized controlled trial will be conducted on patients with FMS. Methods: Sixty-four subjects with FMS will be randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving dry needling therapy, or to a control group for myofascial release therapy in the trigger points active or latent in the following pairs of muscles: occipital, splenius capitis, sternocleidomastoid, scalene, trapezius, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and multifidus. Myofascial trigger points, quality of life, impact of fibromyalgia symptoms, quality of sleep, intensity of pain, anxiety levels, state of depression, impact of fatigue will be recorded at baseline and after four weeks of treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
64
Dry needling procedures will be performed in the following pairs of muscles in the same intervention: occipital, splenius capitis, sternocleidomastoid (Clavicular branch TrPs 1, 2 and 3; sternal branch TrPs 1, 2, 3 and 4), scalene (anterior TrPs 1, and 2; medial TrP (Trigger Point) 1; posterior TrP 1), trapezius (upper TrPs 1, and 2; middle TrPs 5, 6 and 7; lower TrPs 3, and 4), supraspinatus (central point; myotendinous union; tendon insertion), infraspinatus (medial/superior; lateral/superior; lateral scapular side; medial scapular side), and multifidus (level C6).
Patients will develope a myofascial therapy protocol, administered in the following order in the same intervention: deep fascia release in temporal region, suboccipital release, compression-decompression of temporomandibular joint, global release of cervicodorsal fascia, release of pectoral region, diaphragm release (transverse slide), and transverse diaphragmatic plane.
University of Almeria
Almería, Spain
Active and Latent Myofascial Trigger Points (Number of trigger Points)
Myofascial Trigger Points will be explored in the following pairs of muscles: occipital, splenius capitis, sternocleidomastoid, scalene, trapezius, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and multifidus.
Time frame: Change from baseline myofascial trigger points at four weeks
Quality of Life (SF-36 quality of life questionnaire)
The SF-36 quality of life questionnaire assesses 8 domains including physical functioning, physical role, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health.
Time frame: Change from baseline quality of life at four weeks
Impact of Fibromyalgia Symptoms (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire)
The Spanish version of Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) will be used to assess the impact of FMS symptoms on physical and mental health of patients.
Time frame: Change from baseline impact of fibromyalgia symptoms at four weeks
Quality of Sleep (Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Questionnaire Index)
The Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Questionnaire Index (PSQI) will be used to study the quality of sleep. It comprises 24 items where the subjects respond to 19 of these items, and individual living in the same dwelling (or hospital room) responds to the remaining 5. Scores are obtained on each of 7 components of sleep quality: subjective quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficacy, sleep perturbations, use of hypnotic medication, and daily dysfunction.
Time frame: Change from baseline quality of life at four weeks
Pain (Visual Analog Scale)
Pain will be assessed with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), which assesses the pain intensity and degree of relief experienced by the patient (scored of 0 = no pain; 10 = unbearable pain).
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Time frame: Change from baseline pain intensity at four weeks
Anxiety levels (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory )
Anxiety levels will be determined with the 40-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which measures anxiety as a stable dimension of personality (trait or tendency to anxiety) and also includes a state subscale to detect anxiety behaviors.
Time frame: Change from baseline anxiety levels at four weeks
State of depression (Beck Depression Inventory)
The state of depression will be determined with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a self-applied 21-item questionnaire that assesses a wide spectrum of depressive symptoms. It focuses on the cognitive components of depression, which represent around 50% of the total questionnaire score.
Time frame: Change from state of depression at four weeks
Impact of fatigue (Fatigue Impact Scale )
The impact of fatigue will be determined with the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS). It is a questionnaire-based inventory which requires patients to rate the perceived functional limitations about psychosocial, cognitive, and physical domains (with the maximum score of these sub-scales are 80, 40, and 40, respectively) due to fatigue over the previous month.
Time frame: Change from impact of fatigue at four weeks