Trigger Point Injection in Patients With Myofascial Pain Syndrome

The primary objectives in treating Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) are to deactivate trigger points, alleviate pain, and remove factors that exacerbate the condition. Recently, the use of ultrasound (US) has been advocated to reduce potential complications during trigger point injections and to ensure more effective administration of the treatment.This study aims to compare the effectiveness of blinded versus ultrasound-guided trigger point injections into the trapezius muscle in patients with FMS. Seventy-five patients with FMS will participate in this study. They will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group received ultrasound-guided trigger point injections, while the other group received blinded trigger point injections. Both groups will follow the same home exercise regimen, which included stretching and posture exercises targeting the trapezius and pectoral muscles. The effectiveness of the treatments was evaluated one month post-treatment. The assessment tools will include the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) for function, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck-A) for anxiety, and the Neck Disability Questionnaire (NDQ) for neck disability.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients aged 20-60 years who met the 2013 ACR criteria
• Patients who will be diagnosed with FMS and cervical chronic MAS according to Travel and Simons' criteria
• Patients who had a palpated tense band in the upper trapezius muscle and at least 1 active trigger point

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, myelopathy, local or systemic infection, treatment for MAS in the last 3 months
• Patients who have symptom duration less than 3 months
• Patients with pregnancy status, acute or chronic disease that would cause clinical confusion at the time of the study