J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2022 Apr;57(2):122-127. 10.4055/jkoa.2022.57.2.122.

The Clinical Results of Radial and Focused Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on Periscapular Myofascial Pain Syndrome

• Lee J
• Ha C
• Ahn TK

• KMID: 2528427
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2022.57.2.122

Abstract

Purpose
In the past 20 years, studies on extracorporeal shock wave therapy in myofascial pain syndrome have been conducted in various ways, but no studies have compared the effects of the radial and focused type directly. This study examined the clinical treatment effects of periscapular myofascial pain syndrome according to the type of extracorporeal shock wave.
Materials and Methods
From January 2018 to February 2019, 66 patients were diagnosed with periscapular myofascial pain syndrome and subjected to extracorporeal shock waves. Twenty-four patients were in the radial extracorporeal shock wave treatment group, and 42 patients were in the focused extracorporeal shock wave treatment group. Before starting treatment, the visual analog pain scale, Constant Murley scale, and UCLA score were examined. After six shock wave treatments were completed at intervals of one week, the visual analog pain scale, Constant Murley scale, and UCLA score were re-evaluated.
Results
The visual analog pain scale improved from pre-treatment 3.66 points to post-treatment 2.54 points in the radial extracorporeal shock wave treatment group (p=0.007), and improved from pre-treatment 3.26 points to post-treatment 2.52 points in the focused extracorporeal shock wave treatment group (p=0.010). For the shoulder function evaluation, the Constant Murley scale and UCLA score in the radial extracorporeal shock wave treatment group improved from 64.60 points and 24.96 points, respectively, before treatment to 71.76 points and 27.98 points after treatment, respectively (p<0.001, p=0.006). The Constant Murley scale and UCLA score in the focal extracorporeal shockwave treatment group improved from 64.06 points and 25.26 points, respectively, to 72.19 points and 28.80 points after treatment (p<0.001, p<0.001).
Conclusion
Both radial and focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy were effective in reducing pain and increasing the shoulder function in patients with periscapular myofascial pain syndrome.

Keyword

extracorporeal shockwave therapy; myofascial pain syndromes; pain