The Efficacy of Intramuscular Electrical Stimulation in the Management of Patients with Myofascial Pain Syndrome: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Chiropr Man Therap

Publisher Biomed Central

Date 2021 Sep 28

PMID 34579747

Citations 2

Authors

Monavar Hadizadeh

Abbas Rahimi

Mohammad Javaherian

Meysam Velayati

Jan Dommerholt

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is one of the most common disorders causing chronic muscle pain. Almost one-third of patients with musculoskeletal complaints meet the MPS criteria. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of intramuscular electrical stimulation (IMES) in patients with MPS through a systematic review method.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ProQuest, PEDro, Web of Science, and CINAHL were systematically searched to find out the eligible articles without language limitations from 1990 to December 30, 2020. All relevant randomized controlled trials that compared the effectiveness of IMES with sham-IMES, dry needling, or exercise therapy in patients with MPS were included. Full texts of the selected studies were critically appraised using Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB2).

Results: Six studies (out of 397) had met our inclusion criteria (involving 158 patients) and were entered to the systematic review. Outcome measures examined in these studies included pain, range of motion, pressure pain threshold, biochemical factors, disability, and amount of analgesic use. In the most studies, it has been shown that IMES is more effective than the control group in improving some outcome measurements such as pain.

Conclusion: There is preliminary evidence from a few small trials suggesting the efficacy of IMES for the care of myofascial pain syndrome. The data support the conduct of larger trials investigating the efficacy of IMES.

Citing Articles

Intramuscular Electrical Stimulation to Trigger Points: Insights into Mechanisms and Clinical Applications-A Scoping Review.

Perreault T, Ball A, Dommerholt J, Theiss R, Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C, Butts R J Clin Med. 2022; 11(20).

PMID: 36294360 PMC: 9605351. DOI: 10.3390/jcm11206039.

Effect of ischemic compression on myofascial pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Lu W, Li J, Tian Y, Lu X Chiropr Man Therap. 2022; 30(1):34.

PMID: 36050701 PMC: 9434898. DOI: 10.1186/s12998-022-00441-5.

References

Gerwin R, Dommerholt J, Shah J . An expansion of Simons' integrated hypothesis of trigger point formation. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2004; 8(6):468-75. DOI: 10.1007/s11916-004-0069-x. View

Faghri P, Van Meerdervort H, Glaser R, Figoni S . Electrical stimulation-induced contraction to reduce blood stasis during arthroplasty. IEEE Trans Rehabil Eng. 1997; 5(1):62-9. DOI: 10.1109/86.559350. View

Benjaboonyanupap D, Paungmali A, Pirunsan U . Effect of Therapeutic Sequence of Hot Pack and Ultrasound on Physiological Response Over Trigger Point of Upper Trapezius. Asian J Sports Med. 2015; 6(3):e23806. PMC: 4594134. DOI: 10.5812/asjsm.23806. View

Botelho L, Angoleri L, Zortea M, Deitos A, Brietzke A, Torres I . Insights About the Neuroplasticity State on the Effect of Intramuscular Electrical Stimulation in Pain and Disability Associated With Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS): A Double-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018; 12:388. PMC: 6232764. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00388. View

Martin-Pintado-Zugasti A, Mayoral Del Moral O, Gerwin R, Fernandez-Carnero J . Post-needling soreness after myofascial trigger point dry needling: Current status and future research. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2018; 22(4):941-946. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2018.01.003. View

Simons D . Review of enigmatic MTrPs as a common cause of enigmatic musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2004; 14(1):95-107. DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2003.09.018. View

Sterne J, Savovic J, Page M, Elbers R, Blencowe N, Boutron I . RoB 2: a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ. 2019; 366:l4898. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l4898. View

Rainey C . The use of trigger point dry needling and intramuscular electrical stimulation for a subject with chronic low back pain: a case report. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2013; 8(2):145-61. PMC: 3625794. View

Chu J, Takehara I, Li T, Schwartz I . Electrical twitch obtaining intramuscular stimulation (ETOIMS) for myofascial pain syndrome in a football player. Br J Sports Med. 2004; 38(5):E25. PMC: 1724955. DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2003.010306. View

10.

Yamabata S, Shiraishi H, Munechika M, Fukushima H, Fukuoka Y, Hojo T . Effects of electrical stimulation therapy on the blood flow in chronic critical limb ischemia patients following regenerative therapy. SAGE Open Med. 2016; 4:2050312116660723. PMC: 4962517. DOI: 10.1177/2050312116660723. View

11.

Sumen A, Sarsan A, Alkan H, Yildiz N, Ardic F . Efficacy of low level laser therapy and intramuscular electrical stimulation on myofascial pain syndrome. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2014; 28(1):153-8. DOI: 10.3233/BMR-140503. View

12.

Sherry J, Oehrlein K, Hegge K, Morgan B . Effect of burst-mode transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on peripheral vascular resistance. Phys Ther. 2001; 81(6):1183-91. View

13.

Vernon H, Schneider M . Chiropractic management of myofascial trigger points and myofascial pain syndrome: a systematic review of the literature. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2009; 32(1):14-24. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2008.06.012. View

14.

Srbely J . New trends in the treatment and management of myofascial pain syndrome. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2010; 14(5):346-52. DOI: 10.1007/s11916-010-0128-4. View

15.

Brennan K, Elifritz K, Comire M, Jupiter D . Rate and maintenance of improvement of myofascial pain with dry needling alone vs. dry needling with intramuscular electrical stimulation: a randomized controlled trial. J Man Manip Ther. 2020; 29(4):216-226. PMC: 8366661. DOI: 10.1080/10669817.2020.1824469. View

16.

Sergienko S, Kalichman L . Myofascial origin of shoulder pain: a literature review. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2015; 19(1):91-101. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.05.004. View

17.

Hendler N, Kozikowski J . Overlooked physical diagnoses in chronic pain patients involved in litigation. Psychosomatics. 1993; 34(6):494-501. DOI: 10.1016/S0033-3182(93)71823-X. View

18.

Liu L, Huang Q, Liu Q, Thitham N, Li L, Ma Y . Evidence for Dry Needling in the Management of Myofascial Trigger Points Associated With Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2017; 99(1):144-152.e2. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2017.06.008. View

19.

Medeiros L, Caumo W, Dussan-Sarria J, Deitos A, Brietzke A, Laste G . Effect of Deep Intramuscular Stimulation and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Neurophysiological Biomarkers in Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Pain Med. 2015; 17(1):122-35. DOI: 10.1111/pme.12919. View

20.

Celik D, Kaya Mutlu E . Clinical implication of latent myofascial trigger point. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2013; 17(8):353. DOI: 10.1007/s11916-013-0353-8. View