title: Improvement in anxiety and pain after whole body whirlpool hydrotherapy among patients with myofascial pain syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of the Whirlpool hydrotherapy on pain and anxiety in chronic myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) patients, compared to the conventional hydrocollator pack therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one subjects who have MPS in the upper trapezius muscles without depression were recruited. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups: the whirlpool therapy group whose bodies were immersed in a whirlpool bath at 34℃-36℃ for 30 minutes; the hydrocollator group who took a 30-minute application of a standard hot hydrocollator pack. Patients in both groups received therapy three days a week for 2 weeks and underwent several evaluations at baseline and after treatment. The variables we analyzed during evaluations were as follows: the primary outcome we considered was pain severity using a visual analogue scale. And the secondary outcomes examined included anxiety using the Korean version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and quality of life (QoL) using the Korean version of the World Health Organization QoL Assessment, Brief Form. All follow-up values were compared with the baseline values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline parameters did not show significant differences between two groups. And after 2-week treatment, both groups revealed significant improvement in anxiety levels and QoL, as well as in pain. However, the improvement on pain (p=0.002) and anxiety (p=0.010) was significantly greater in the whirlpool group, compared to the hydrocollator group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The whirlpool hydrotherapy can be used as a more effective therapeutic method to reduce pain and anxiety in chronic MPS patients without depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Han
keywords: Anxiety; Hydrotherapy; Myofascial pain syndromes
references.citation: Pain. 1998 Sep;77(3):231-239
references.pmid: 9808348
references.citation: Clin J Pain. 2002 Nov-Dec;18(6):355-65
references.pmid: 12441829
references.citation: Rheumatol Int. 2008 Dec;29(2):119-30
references.pmid: 18751709
references.citation: Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2002;11(1):1-18
references.pmid: 12459800
references.citation: Qual Life Res. 2004 Mar;13(2):299-310
references.pmid: 15085902
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 1995 Nov;41(10):1403-9
references.pmid: 8560308
references.citation: J Am Board Fam Med. 2012 May-Jun;25(3):300-7
references.pmid: 22570393
references.citation: Rheumatol Int. 2005 Apr;25(3):220-4
references.pmid: 15257412
references.citation: Rheumatol Int. 2006 Nov;27(1):19-27
references.pmid: 16832639
references.citation: Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2008 May-Jun;30(3):191-9
references.pmid: 18433651
references.citation: Complement Ther Med. 2010 Feb;18(1):1-7
references.pmid: 20178872
references.citation: J Nurs Scholarsh. 2002;34(4):347-52
references.pmid: 12501738
references.citation: Int J Rehabil Res. 2008 Jun;31(2):165-9
references.pmid: 18467932
references.citation: Science. 1965 Nov 19;150(3699):971-9
references.pmid: 5320816
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2002 Sep-Oct;64(5):773-86
references.pmid: 12271108
references.citation: Pain Med. 2008 Mar;9(2):166-74
references.pmid: 18298699
references.citation: Psychol Med. 2004 May;34(4):597-611
references.pmid: 15099415
references.citation: Pain Suppl. 1986;3:S1-226
references.pmid: 3461421
references.citation: Pain. 2011 Oct;152(10):2277-2282
references.pmid: 21726939
references.citation: Psychol Med. 2005 Aug;35(8):1175-84
references.pmid: 16116943
references.citation: Lasers Surg Med. 2004;35(3):229-35
references.pmid: 15389743
references.citation: Reg Anesth. 1997 Jan-Feb;22(1):89-101
references.pmid: 9010953
references.citation: JAMA. 2008 Feb 13;299(6):656-64
references.pmid: 18270354
references.citation: J Athl Train. 1997 Jul;32(3):238-41
references.pmid: 16558456
references.citation: Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2010 Oct;14(5):361-6
references.pmid: 20690001
references.citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 Jan;89(1):75-80
references.pmid: 18164334
references.citation: JAMA. 1998 Jul 8;280(2):147-51
references.pmid: 9669787
references.citation: Biol Res Nurs. 2010 Jul;12(1):28-36
references.pmid: 20453024
references.citation: Qual Life Res. 2002 Sep;11(6):593-600
references.pmid: 12206580
references.citation: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2006 May;41(5):357-63
references.pmid: 16565922
references.citation: Behav Res Ther. 1995 May;33(4):477-85
references.pmid: 7755538
references.citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 May;89(5):873-83
references.pmid: 18452734