Comparison of the effects of superficial dry needling and sparrow pecking acupuncture on upper trapezius myofascial pain

Abstract

Myofascial syndrome is a group of symptoms and signs at one or more trigger points and is characterized by chronic muscle pain with increased sensitivity to pressure. Manual acupuncture with several stimulation techniques can be used to treat this condition. The purpose of the present study was to compare the superficial needling technique with the sparrow pecking technique in terms of pain reduction and change in pain threshold in myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) of the upper trapezius. A sample of 36 individuals was divided into two equal groups. The first group underwent superficial dry needling acupuncture, whereas the second group underwent sparrow pecking acupuncture. The intensity of pain was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS), and the pain stimulus threshold was measured using a pressure threshold meter (PTM) before treatment and at 0, 30, and 60 min after treatment. At 0 min, there was no mean difference between the superficial dry needling and sparrow pecking acupuncture in terms of pain scores or pain stimulus threshold. Overall, dry needling acupuncture and sparrow pecking both reduced pain and increased the pain stimulus threshold of myofascial pain in the upper trapezius, with no statistically significant difference.