Effect of laser and ultrasound treatments on myofascial pain syndrome: a comparative study

ABSTRACT

Myofascial pain syndrome [MPS] is one of the main musculoskeletal diseases whose main complications are decrease of function, decrease quality of life and functional problems. MPS has many treatment options including pharmaceutical treatments such as [Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, tri-cyclic antidepressants and other antidepressants, anti-epileptics and opioids], physical therapy [hotpacks, TENS, ultrasound, stretching and laser] and injections. Because of lacking potent evidence for routine treatments and their side effects, controversy about efficacy of laser, and lack of documents about this matter in our country, we evaluated effects of laser on patients suffering from MPS. In this randomized clinical trial, patients referring to Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital [affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran] who were diagnosed to have upper trapezius MPS by the history and physical exam, filled the informed consent documents and their pain severity was measured at rest, movement and at night by visual analogue scale [VAS] questionnaires. Also the patients filled neck disability index form [NDI] and pain threshold were determined by algometric evaluation. Then patients were classified to A, B, C groups randomly for [laser, ultrasound, and sham laser]. After 6 weeks the patients were visited again, the forms were filled and data were gathered for statistic analysis. Ultrasound was effective in decreasing the VAS at movement and algometric evaluation [p < 0.01], and in decreasing the VAS at night and at rest and NDI [p < 0.05]. Laser also was effective in decreasing the VAS at movement [p < 0.01], at night and at rest [p < 0.05] and was effective in improving algometric evaluation and NDI [p < 0.001]. Laser was more effective than Ultrasound in decreasing the NDI and improving algometric evaluation