Abstract
Background: Thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) is a common disorder that interferes with the ability to perform the activities of daily life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of ischemic compression on myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle in patients with the diagnosis of thumb CMC OA. Methods: In a quasi-experimental clinical trial, thirty-one patients, 87% female (age: 82 ± 9.4 years), with thumb CMC OA, were consecutively assigned to either an experimental treatment that included the ischemic compression of the FDI MTrP or a sham treatment of the FDI MTrP for one session. The main outcome considered in the study was the pressure pain threshold (PPT). Measurements were taken pre- and post-treatment and at a 1-week follow-up period. Results: The PPT over the right (affected) FDI muscle showed statistically significant differences between groups at 1-week follow up (F = 3.518; p = 0.04) in favor of the experimental group. Conclusions: The ischemic compression of FDI-MTrPs is an appropriate part of a multimodal treatment to decrease local pain sensitivity in patients with CMC OA.
Highlights
Thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) is a common disorder that interferes with the ability to perform activities of daily living [1]
It has been shown that the contraction of the dynamic stabilizers reduces the subluxation of the CMC and the load on the joint, so we can hypothesize that conservative treatment focused on the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle could be key in approaching this pathology [7,8]
The present study showed for the first time that ischemic compression of the FDIMTrP led to a local reduction in the pressure pain sensitivity
Summary
Thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) is a common disorder that interferes with the ability to perform activities of daily living [1]. It is the most often reported painful joint compared to all other hand joints [2], and it is present in 40% of women and up to. Thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (CMC OA) is a common disorder that interferes with the ability to perform the activities of daily life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of ischemic compression on myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle in patients with the diagnosis of thumb CMC OA.
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