title: Dry needle stimulation of myofascial trigger points evokes segmental anti-nociceptive effects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that dry needle stimulation of a myofascial trigger point (sensitive locus) evokes segmental anti-nociceptive effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Double-blind randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty subjects (21 males, 19 females).
  
  
  METHODS
  Test subjects received intramuscular dry needle puncture to a right supraspinatus trigger point (C4,5); controls received sham intramuscular dry needle puncture. Pain pressure threshold (PPT) readings were recorded from right infraspinatus (C5,6) and right gluteus medius (L4,5S1) trigger points at 0 (pre-needling baseline), 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 min post-needling and normalized to baseline values. The supraspinatus and infraspinatus trigger points are neurologically linked at C5; the supraspinatus and gluteus medius are segmentally unrelated. The difference between the infraspinatus and gluteus medius PPT values (PPTseg) represents a direct measure of the segmental anti-nociceptive effects acting at the infraspinatus trigger point.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases in PPTseg were observed in test subjects at 3 (p = 0.002) and 5 (p = 0.015) min post-needling, compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One intervention of dry needle stimulation to a single trigger point (sensitive locus) evokes short-term segmental anti-nociceptive effects. These results suggest that trigger point (sensitive locus) stimulation may evoke anti-nociceptive effects by modulating segmental mechanisms, which may be an important consideration in the management of myofascial pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health and Nutritional Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 , Canada. jsrbely@uoguelph.ca
authors.forename: John Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Srbely
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dickey
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lowerison
mesh_terms: D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009209:Myofascial Pain Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009339:Needles; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D011677:Punctures / Q000295:instrumentation