Background: Myofascial pain syndrome is collection of sensory, motor, and autonomic symptoms that include local and referred pain, decreased range of motion, and weakness.
Objective: To compare outcome of physical therapy alone and physical therapy with trigger point injection in the management of myofascial pain syndrome.
Materials and methods: This prospective randomized control study was performed in a tertiary-care teaching institution of North India. Age- and sex-matched subjects with myofascial pain syndrome were enrolled in this study. Subjects were assessed by cervical ROM parameters, numerical pain rating scale, and pressure pain threshold at third day, 1 week, and fourth week.
Results: Sixty patients were included in this study with mean age-group of 25.93 + 4.65 years and 26.60 + 4.99 years, respectively, and median of 22 years and 23 years in control and intervention groups, respectively. The female–male ratio was 1.5:1 and 1.3:1, respectively. Using CF, CE, NPRS, and PPT as outcome parameters were 39.00 ± 2.49, 8.60 ± 0.62, and 1.00 ± 0.00, respectively, which improved to 66.17 ± 4.09, 67.33 ± 3.65, 1.17 ± 0.65, and 5.00 ± 0.00, respectively, at fourth week of trigger point injection.
Conclusion: Combined approach of trigger point injection with physical therapy is more effective and safe to be administered in outpatient as very good alternative for oral drugs and physical therapy alone.