The Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy, Exercise Therapy and Medication on Myofascial Pain Syndrome of Upper Trapezius: A Clinical Trial Study

Since the myofascial pain syndrome is a common condition in the trapezius muscle, the present study aimed to determine and compare the effects of laser therapy, exercise and medication among patients diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome of the upper trapezius muscle, referred to the clinics of physical medicine in Isfahan in 2013. In this clinical trial study, 44 patients were randomly assigned to an exercise-medication treatment group (24 individuals) and a laser-exercise-medication treatment group (20 individuals). Symptoms were assessed based on Visual Analogue Scale ( VAS) , Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPDI) in three stages including before treatment, subsequently after treatment and one month after treatment. Independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA were used to analyze the statistical data. A significant difference was found among the studied groups before and after starting treatment for VAS, NDI and SPDI indices (p<0.001). However, laser therapy provided a higher effect on VAS in comparison with the control group subsequently after treatment (p=0.032). Nevertheless, evaluation after one month from treatment did not show a significant difference in the 2 treatment methods for the three indices (p>0.05). According to the results, exercise-medication therapy and laser-exercise-medication therapy may result in similar effects for relieving pain and eliminating symptoms in patients with myofascial pain syndrome in long-term, but subsequently after treatment, laser-exercise-medication therapy provides a higher effect on VAS.