Treating Shoulder Pain with Trigger Point Dry Needling: A Case Report

Abstract

Shoulder pain is highly prevalent even in the young population and could have a multifactorial aetiology. Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) could be one of the pathophysiological basis of shoulder pain. Dry needling has shown promising results in releasing MTrPs in different muscles. Hereby, authors present a case report of a 24-year-old male with a history of shoulder pain, with no history of trauma or injury, who was referred to the physiotherapist by orthopaedic surgeon with a diagnosis of shoulder strain of muscular origin. Being a flight attendant by profession, his job involved continuous picking, pushing and lifting things during his working hours in the flights. The patient presented with severe pain and with reduced Range of Motion (ROM) mainly on left side. Following thorough assessment of the patient by the physiotherapist, the trigger point dry needling was administered. The pain was reduced as measured by Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), increasing the Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT) as measured by algometer with increase in ROM of left shoulder. After the dry needling treatment session, there was an instant improvement in the restricted ROM of shoulder which may be a consequence of the decrease in pain and improvement in muscle tone and elasticity after treatment. Although there are few papers highlighting the effectiveness of dry needling but still, there is dearth of literature that highlight the quantification (PPT) in addition to reporting of pain (score based) and ROM. Thus, the results of the present case report can assist in providing insight for examining the effectiveness of dry needling, which are subdued literature but are important to frame body of knowledge.