title: The effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on myofascial pain syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with MPS in trapezius muscle were randomly divided into two groups, ESWT group (n=15), and trigger point injections (TPI)+transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) group (n=15). For a total of 3 weeks, ESWT was undertaken with 1,500 pulse each time at one week interval totaling 4,500 pulse, TPI for once a week totaling three times and TENS for five times a week totaling three weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The changes in pain threshold (lb/cm(2)) showed the values of 6.86±1.35 before first therapy, 11.43±0.27 after first therapy, and 12.57±0.72 after third therapy, while TPI+TENS group showed the values of 6.20±1.92 before first therapy, 8.80±0.48 after first therapy, and 9.60±2.19 after third therapy, and the changes between the groups were significantly different (p=0.045). The changes in visual analog scale were estimated to be 6.86±0.90 before first therapy, 2.86±0.90 after first therapy, and 1.86±0.69 after third therapy in case of ESWT group, whereas the figures were estimated to be 7.20±1.30 before first therapy, 4.60±0.55 after first therapy, and 2.80±0.84 after third therapy in case of TPI+TENS group, and the changes between the groups were significantly different (p=0.010). The changes in McGill pain questionnaire (p=0.816) and pain rating scale (p=0.644) between the groups were not significantly different. The changes in neck ROM were also not significantly different between the groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ESWT in patients with MPS in trapezius muscle are as effective as TPI and TENS for the purpose of pain relief and improving cervical range of motion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hallym University Burn Institute, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul 150-719, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Yun Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ju Youn
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jeong Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Mun
authors.forename: Won Yong
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Cheong Hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Ki Un
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Jang