Different substances and dry-needling injections in patients with myofascial pain and headaches

Abstract

Trigger point injections with different solutions have been studied mainly with regard to the management of myofascial pain (MFP) patient management. However, few studies have analyzed their effect in a chronic headache population with associated MFP. The purpose of this study was to assess if trigger point injections using lidocaine associated with corticoid would be better than lidocaine alone, as in comparison with dry-needling in for the management of local pain and associated headache management. Forty-five (45) myofascial pain patients with headaches that could be reproduced by activating at least one trigger point, were randomly assigned into one of the three groups: G1, dry-needling, G2, 0.25% lidocaine, at 0.25% and G3, 0.25% lidocaine at 0.25% associated with corticoid, and were assessed during a 12 week period. Levels of pain intensity, frequency and duration, local post-injection sensitivity, obtainment time and duration of relief, and the use of rescue medication were evaluated. Statistically, all three groups showed favorable results for the evaluated requisites (p <= 0.05), but only for post-injection sensitivity did the association of lidocaine with corticoid present the best results and ingestion of rescue medication.