Dry needling on the infraspinatus latent and active myofascial trigger points in older adults with nonspecific shoulder pain: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Shoulder pain is a prevalent condition in older adults. Some authors associate non-specific shoulder pain with myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in the infraspinatus muscle. Dry needling is recommended to relieve the MTrP pain of shoulders in the short-term (< 9 days). Active MTrPs dry needling improves shoulder pain and the irritability of the satellite MTrPs in the referred pain area. Nociceptive activity at a latent MTrP may influence motor activity and the sensitivity of MTrPs in distant muscles at a similar segmental level. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate dry needling on 1 latent MTrP, in conjunction with 1 active MTrP, in the infraspinatus muscle in older adults with non-specific shoulder pain. A single-center, randomized, single-blinded, controlled study [NCT02032602] was carried out. Sixty-six patients aged 65 and older with trigger points in the ipsilateral infraspinatus of the painful shoulder were randomly assigned to (1) of (2) treatment groups. A session of dry needling on the infraspinatus was performed in (1) the most hyperalgesic active and latent MTrP or (2) only the most hyperalgesic active MTrP. The Numeric Rating Scale, the pressure pain threshold (PPT; primary outcome) on the anterior deltoid and extensor carpi radialis brevis latent MTrPs, and the grip strength were assessed before, after, and 1 week after the intervention. One dry needling intervention of the latent MTrP associated with the key active MTrP of the infraspinatus reduces pain intensity and the irritability of the satellite MTrPs located in the referred pain area in older adults with non-specific shoulder pain in the short-term.