| Institution: | 1. Department of Neurology and MS Reference Center, Universidade Metropolitana de Santos, SP, Brazil;2. Department of Neurology and MS Reference Center, Hospital Sirio-Libanes, Brazil;3. Department of Neurology and MS Reference Center, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP, Brazil;4. Department of Neurology and MS Reference Center, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil;5. Department of Neurology and MS Reference Center, Hospital da Restauracao, Recife, PE, Brazil;6. Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil;7. Hospital Beneficencia Portuguesa and Hospital Paulistano, Sao Paulo, Brazil;8. Department of Neurology and MS Unit, Centro Hospitalar Unimed, Joinville, SC, Brazil;9. Department of Neurology and MS Reference Center, Rehabilitation Center Dom Aquino Correa, Cuiaba, MT, Brazil;10. Department of Neurology, Medical School, Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericordia, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil;11. Neurology Clinic and MS Reference Unit Curitiba, Curitiba, PR, Brazil;12. Neurology Clinic and MS Reference Unit Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil;13. Department of Neurology, Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brasilia, DF, Brazil;1. Urological Research Institute, Department of Urology, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy;2. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden;3. Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden |
| Abstract: | ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of topical vibratory stimulation for reducing pain during trigger point injection (TPI).DesignDouble-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.SettingTertiary care university hospital.ParticipantsA total of 136 participants were randomly recruited from among patients with myofascial pain syndrome who were scheduled for TPI. Of these, 65 were excluded because they met the exclusion criteria, and 11 because they refused to participate. Finally, 60 participants were enrolled. No participants dropped out of the study.InterventionParticipants were randomly assigned to the vibration group or control group. TPI was performed with 0.5% lidocaine using a 25-gauge needle. A vibrator was applied to the popliteal fossa for 3 to 5 seconds prior to and during TPI to the gastrocnemius; 100-Hz vibration was turned on for the vibration group and turned off for the control group.Main Outcome MeasuresPain intensity during TPI was assessed using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) as a primary outcome, and participant satisfaction and preference for repeated use were measured using 5-point Likert scales as a secondary outcome. These parameters were evaluated immediately after TPI. The primary outcome was evaluated using analysis of covariance and secondary outcome using the Mann-Whitney U test.ResultsVAS scores for pain during TPI were significantly lower in the vibration group (30.30; 95% confidence interval CI], 22.65-39.26) compared with the control group (47.58; 95% CI, 38.80-56.52; F=7.74; P< .01). The mean difference in VAS scores between the 2 groups was 17.27 (95% CI, 5.24-29.30). Participant satisfaction and preference for repeated use were significantly higher in the vibration group than in the control group (P<.05). No participant showed any side effects.ConclusionTopical vibratory stimulation significantly decreased pain during TPI of the gastrocnemius. |
