Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35166212›Full record

Trial reportBiomedical journal2021

Comparison of the effects between lasers applied to myofascial trigger points and to classical acupoints for patients with cervical myofascial pain syndrome.

Wei-Han Chang, Li-Wen Tu, Yu-Cheng Pei, Chih-Kuang Chen, Szu-Heng Wang, Alice Mk Wong

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Biomedical journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01516502 (Is Low-level Laser on Traditional Acupoint as Effective as That on Trigger Point in the Management of Cervical Myofascial Pain Syndrome?), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01516502 nacompletednot on this map

Is Low-level Laser on Traditional Acupoint as Effective as That on Trigger Point in the Management of Cervical Myofascial Pain Syndrome?

TypeinterventionalSponsorChang Gung Memorial HospitalRan2011 to 2011Enrolled100ConditionsMyofacial Pain SyndromesArmslow-level laser therapy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Wei-Han ChangDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taoyuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Li-Wen TuDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taoyuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Yu-Cheng PeiDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Center of Vascularized Tissue Allograft, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Chih-Kuang ChenDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taoyuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Szu-Heng WangDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Alice Mk WongDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Taoyuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: walice@adm.cgmh.org.tw.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo compare the immediate effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) applied to classical acupoints versus trigger points for patients with cervical myofascial pain syndrome (MPS).

methodsThis was a single-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. This study was performed in a university-affiliated medical center. One hundred participants with cervical myofascial pain syndrome were randomly allocated to four treatment groups, including (1) acupoint therapy (AcuT), (2) acupoint control (AcuC), (3) trigger point therapy (TriT), and (4) trigger point control (TriC) groups. Low-level laser (810-nm) therapy was used in both therapy groups, while the same procedure was performed without laser in the acupoint control groups. The patients were evaluated based on visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, pressure pain threshold, and cervical range of motion (ROM) before and after the therapy.

resultsImmediate pain relief was observed in the TriT group (p < 0.01). The TriT group showed improved cervical ROM in ipsilateral bending (p < 0.01), while the AcuT group did not.

conclusionsLLLT applied to trigger points could significantly relieve myofascial pain and was effective in relieving cervical ROM limitations. Considering the risk of pneumothorax, laser therapy at trigger points for patients with cervical MPS may be a choice when acupuncture therapy is unavailable.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01516502.

Indexed as

Myofascial Pain SyndromesTrigger PointsAcupuncture PointsHumansLasersTreatment OutcomeAcupointLaser therapyLow level laser therapyMyofascial pain syndromeRange of motionTrigger point

Identifiers

PMID35166212
PMCPMC8847842

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.