Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Short-term improvement following dry needle stimulation of tender points in fibromyalgia

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Rheumatology International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy of dry needling therapy in patients severely affected by fibromyalgia. One hundred and twenty fibromyalgia patients were randomly divided into two groups. The control group, 56 women and 4 men, and the dry needling group, 54 women and 6 men, who apart from continuing their medical treatment, also underwent weekly 1-h session of dry needling for 6 weeks. At the beginning of the program, there were significant differences in the age (mean 56.26 years in the dry needling group versus 50.82 years in controls, p = 0.01) and McGill Pain Questionnaire [MPQ] (mean 39.07 in dry needling group versus 42.44 in controls, p = 0.03). At the end of treatment, the experimental group showed significant differences in most tests, including Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain (p = 0.002), VAS of fatigue (p = 0.02), pain of Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (SF-36) (p = 0.0007), myalgic score (p = 0.0005), pressure pain threshold (p = 0.002), and global subjective improvement (p = 0.00001). Six weeks after the end of the treatment, the dry needling group still showed significant differences in most tests, including VAS of pain (p = 0.01), VAS of fatigue (p = 0.02), pain of SF-36 (p = 0.01), myalgic score (p = 0.00001), pressure pain threshold (p = 0.0004), and global subjective improvement (p = 0.00001). In conclusion, patients severely affected by fibromyalgia can obtain short-term improvements following weekly dry needling for 6 weeks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Wolfe F, Smythe HA, Yunus MB et al (1990) The American college of rheumatology 1990 criteria for the classification of FM: report of the multicenter criteria committee. Arthritis Rheum 33(2):160–172

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kalichman L, Vulfsons S (2010) Dry needling in the management of musculoskeletal pain. J Am Board Fam Med 23(5):640–646

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. White A, Hayhoe S, Hart A et al (2001) Adverse events following acupuncture: prospective survey of 32000 consultations with doctors and physiotherapists. BMJ 232(7311):485–486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Tough EA, White AR, Cummings TM et al (2009) Acupuncture and dry needling in the management of myofascial trigger point pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Eur J Pain 13(1):3–10

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Furlan AD, Van Tulder MW, Cherkin DC et al (2005) Acupuncture and dry-needling for low back pain: an updated systematic review within the framework of the Cochrane collaboration. Spine 30(8):944–963

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Barbagli P, Bollettin R, Ceccherelli F (2003) Acupuncture (dry needle) versus neural therapy (local anesthesia) in the treatment of benign back pain Immediate and long-term results. Minerva Med 94(4 Suppl 1):17–25

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Macdonald AJ, Macrae KD, Master BR et al (1983) Superficial acupuncture in the relief of chronic low back pain. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 65(19):44–46

    CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ceccherelli F, Rigoni MT, Gagliardi G et al (2002) Comparison of superficial and deep acupuncture in the treatment of lumbar myofascial pain: a double-blind randomized controlled study. Clin J Pain 18(3):149–153

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Sterling M, Valentin S, Vicenzino B et al (2009) Dry needling and exercise for chronic whiplash—a randomized controlled trial. BMJ Musculoskelet Disord 10:160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Venancio Rde A, Alencar FG, Zamperini C et al (2008) Different substances and dry-needling injections in patients with myofascial pain and headaches. Cranio 26(2):96–103

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Figuerola FM, Loe V, Sormani M et al (1998) Met-enkephalin increase in patients with fibromyalgia under local treatment. Funct Neurol 13(4):291–295

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cummings TM, White AR (2001) Needling therapies in the management of myofascial trigger point pain: a systematic review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 82(7):986–992

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Baldry P (2002) Superficial versus deep dry needling. Acupunct Med 20(2–3):78–81

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Casanueva B, Rodero B, Quintial C, et al (2012) Short-term efficacy of topical capsaicin therapy in severely affected fibromyalgia patients. Rheumatol Intern (in press)

  15. Rodero B, García-Campayo J, Casanueva B et al (2010) Validation of the Spanish version of the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) for the assessment of acceptance in Fibromyalgia. Health Qual Life Outcomes 8:37

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Staud R (2010) Is it all central sensitization? Role of peripheral tissue nociception in chronic musculoskeletal pain. Cur Rheumatol Rep 12(6):448–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hong CZ, Hsueh TC (1996) Difference in pain relief after trigger point injections in myofascial pain patients with and without fibromyalgia. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 77(11):1161–1166

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Naslund J, Naslund UB, Odenbring S et al (2002) Sensory stimulation (acupuncture) for the treatment of idiopathic anterior knee pain. J Rehabil Med 34(5):231–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Itoh K, Karsumi Y, Kitakoji H (2004) Trigger point acupuncture treatment of chronic low back pain in elderly patients—a blinded RCT. Acupunct Med 22(4):170–177

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Staud R (2010) Is it all central sensitization? Role of peripheral tissue nociception in chronic musculoskeletal pain. Cur Rheumatol Rep 12(6):448–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Srbely JZ, Dickey JP, Lee D et al (2010) Dry needle stimulation of myofascial trigger points evokes segmental anti-nociceptive effects. J Rehabil Med 42(5):463–468

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hsieh YL, Yang SA, Yang CC et al (2012) Dry needling at miofascial trigger spots of rabbit skeletal muscles modulates the biochemicals associated with pain, inflammation, and hypoxia. Evid Base Complement Alternat Med. doi:10.1155/2012/342165

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ouyang BS, Che JL, Gao J et al (2010) Effects of electroacupuncture and simple acupuncture on changes of IL-1, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 in peripheral blood and joint fluid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu 30(10):840–844

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ouyang BS, Gao J, Che JL et al (2011) Effect of electro-acupuncture on tumor necrosis factor-alfa and vascular endothelial growth factor in peripheral blood and joint synovia of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Chin J Integr Med 17(7):505–509

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Wallace DJ, Linker-Israeli M, Hallegua D et al (2001) Cytokines play an aetiopathogenetic role in fibromyalgia: a hypothesis and pilot study. Rheumatolgy (Oxford) 40(7):743–749

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rheumatology Service at the Specialist Clinic of Cantabria, Santander, Spain

    Benigno Casanueva

  2. Specialist Clinic of Cantabria, Santander, Spain

    Paula Rivas

  3. Rodero Center, Santander, Spain

    Baltasar Rodero

  4. Neurophysiology Service, San Juan de Dios Hospital, Santander, Spain

    Covadonga Quintial

  5. Department of Epidemiology and Computational Biology, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, IFIMAV, Santander, Spain

    Javier Llorca

  6. Rheumatology Service, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IFIMAV, Avenida Valdecilla 25, 39008, Santander, Cantabria, Spain

    Miguel A. González-Gay

Authors
  1. Benigno Casanueva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paula Rivas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Baltasar Rodero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Covadonga Quintial
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Javier Llorca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Miguel A. González-Gay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Miguel A. González-Gay.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Casanueva, B., Rivas, P., Rodero, B. et al. Short-term improvement following dry needle stimulation of tender points in fibromyalgia. Rheumatol Int 34, 861–866 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-013-2759-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-013-2759-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation