Comparison of the short-term effectiveness of myofascial dextrose injection and radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy in myofascial pain syndrome: A prospective, randomized clinical study

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of myofascial dextrose injection (MDI) and extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Patients and methods: Between July 2022 and December 2022, a total of 70 patients (8 males, 62 females; mean age: 38.8±11.1 years; range, 18 to 61 years) with MPS in the upper and/or middle trapezius muscle were included in this prospective, randomized clinical study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups as the MDI group (n=35) and the ESWT group (n=35). The first group received MDI with 5% dextrose, while the second group received radial ESWT. Both groups received three sessions of treatment with one-week intervals. An exercise program was provided for all patients. Both groups were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for activity-related pain, Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) at baseline (pre-treatment), and at Weeks 2 and 4 (post-treatment). Results: Following treatment, both groups exhibited significant improvements in VAS, PPT, NDI, and NHP scores (p<0.001). However, the MDI group demonstrated a higher improvement in the VAS scores at both Weeks 2 and 4 (p<0.001). The NDI scores were significantly more favorable in the MDI group at Weeks 2 and 4 (p=0.044 and p=0.011, respectively). In terms of PPT and NHP scores, the MDI group showed a significantly greater improvement at Week 4 (p=0.005 and p=0.013, respectively). Conclusion: Both MDI and ESWT treatments have positive effects on pain and functionality in MPS patients, while MDI seems to yield more favorable results compared to ESWT.