Comparison of dry needling and inhibitory kinesio taping on the pain and functional disability in females with myofascial pain syndrome in upper trapezius muscle

Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most important causes of the pain, and the myofascial pain syndrome is one of the most commonly reported cases which characterized by the presence of trigger points. The purpose of the present study was to compare the therapeutic effects of two methods of dry needling and inhibitory kinesio taping on the pain intensity and functional disability in females with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome.

A total of 75 patients with active trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle were enrolled and divided into experimental group 1 (dry needling treatment), experimental group 2 (inhibitory kinesio taping treatment) and control group (without intervention). The experimental group 1 and 2 received two sessions treatment with three days’ interval. The severity of the pain and the functional disability index were assessed before treatment (pre-test), three days after treatment (post-test 1), and 10 days after treatment (post-test 2).

In the both post-tests, the pain intensity and the functional disability index were significantly decreased in the both experimental groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the two experimental groups in the both post-tests (P>0.05).

The use of the dry needling or the inhibitory kinesio taping method in the subjects with the myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle causes short-term improvement in the pain and the functional disability.