None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The root of the difficulty in the diagnosis of Myofascial Pain Syndrome; that remains highly debated, lies in the difficulty to quantitate their symptoms (as pain and stiffness) and their semi-qualitative physical findings; that are localized taut bands of increased tone, enclosing even more confined MTrPs of tenderness. Physical examination and pain pressure threshold values depend on the sensitivity, discretion and skill of the clinician, as well as the inconsistencies of the patient’s feeling of pain. There lacks objective means to quantify myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) and their core features. The aim of this research was to compare (1) MTrPs and surrounding myofascial tissue by 2-dimensional grey scale ultrasound (2DGSUS) and vibration sonoelastography (VSE); (2) accuracies of both these modes in visualizing MTrPs; (3) active and latent MTrPs by VSE; and (4) accuracy to visualize deep and superficial located MTrPs.
Interventions
Real-Time Sonoelastography; uses the principle that tissue compression produces strain (displacement). Strain indicates stiffness and the relative deformation, where stiff tissue shows less strain compared to the softer tissue while they are both under identical force. Two modes were used; vibration sonoelastography (VSE) (E-color mode) consists of a color flow Doppler system that can image vibration patterns resulting from the low-frequency shear waves that are propagated through deep tissue. T
Real-Time Sonoelastography; uses the principle that tissue compression produces strain (displacement). Strain indicates stiffness and the relative deformation, where stiff tissue shows less strain compared to the softer tissue while they are both under identical force. Two modes were used; vibration sonoelastography (VSE) (E-color mode) consists of a color flow Doppler system that can image vibration patterns resulting from the low-frequency shear waves that are propagated through deep tissue. The 2-Dimensional grey scale ultrasound (2DGSUS) (B-mode), with frequency 7-14 MHz was implemented on the clinically identified myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) to assess echogenicity of MTrPs and surrounding myofasical structure. Both modes were implemented on a single occasion, directly after clinical identification of MTrPs, and it took thirty minutes to scan all MTrPs in the quadratus lumborum, longissimus thoracis, piriformis, and gluteus medius
Sponsors
School of Physical Therapy, Cairo University
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Other
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
25 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
To be included in the study, the subjects with Active-MTrPs (A-MTrPs) must have experienced low back pain consistently over the past 3 months prior to the investigation and did not receive any physical therapy for at least 3 months. The cause of the back pain was diagnosed by an orthopedic physician to be low back dysfunction, due to postural imbalances, where an X-ray and MRI ruled out any spinal involvement. Subjects with Lantent-MTrPs (L-MTrPs) were pain-free subjects (they had no low back pain over the past 3 months), however they were referred for treatment for other conditions. Normal (20-24.9) and overweight (25-29.9) body mass index subjects were included in the study.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusive criteria included active rheumatoid arthritis, fractures and structural deformities of trunk, hip, knee and ankle joints, neurological symptoms, disc prolapse, previous spinal surgery, pregnancy and body mass index of class II to III.
Outcome results
None listed