What Concept of Manual Therapy Is More Effective to Improve Health Status in Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome? A Study Protocol with Preliminary Results.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) is defined as a chronic syndrome characterized by diffuse musculoskeletal pain, associated with characteristic signs and symptoms such as fatigue and/or sleep and mood disorders, and whose etiology, pathogenesis and prognosis may or may not be known. There is growing evidence of manual therapy as a treatment for pain in the short and medium term, also in patients affected by FM. However, the heterogeneity of the manual therapy treatments administered are a very common clinical practice, as they are based more on the judgment or tendency of the physiotherapist, rather than on clear scientific evidence. Therefore, the aim of the present study protocol will be to determine which manual therapy approach is more effective in addressing health status by improving symptoms (sensory, cognitive, emotional and social) in patients with FM. METHODS: a randomized controlled clinical trial with a 3-month follow-up will be carried out with 52 female patients affected by rheumatologist-diagnosed FM will be recruited and evaluated at the Asociación de Fibromialgia y Síndrome de Fatiga Crónica (AFINSYFACRO) in Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. For more details on the protocol, a pilot study was carried out using a non-probability method of judgmental or purposive sampling. Thirteen patients were also evaluated, treated and reevaluated; eight patients were assigned to the myofascial techniques approach (MTA) group and five to the Maitland's mobilization approach (MMA) group. RESULTS: the preliminary results presented here are intended to show how the planned randomized controlled clinical trial will develop. Patients who received MTA had significantly improved pain and health status outcomes after treatment and at 1-month follow-up, with no significant change in those who received MMA. CONCLUSIONS: the exact details of the study protocol on which the manual therapy approach is more effective in addressing health status by improving symptoms (sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social) in patients with FM are presented. Preliminary results show that manual therapy is effective in improving pain and health status in patients with fibromyalgia at short and medium term, with significant results in those who received MTA.

A new ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis and exercise treatment in patellar tendinopathy: three case reports.

Purpose: To present preliminary clinical results of the effects of a new treatment with percutaneous electrolysis directed to peripheral tendon and therapeutic resistance exercise, with or without the presence of degenerative zone. Methods: 3 patients with patellar tendinopathy aged 37-45 years with diagnostic of patellar tendinopathy with pain since 5-8 weeks were treated with a novel, less invasive electrolysis technique. Pain severity was measured by Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Lower limb functionality was measured by a Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment questionnaire (VISA-P). A clinical interview and ultrasonography assesment were performed before study protocol were carried out. Each participants received 4 to 7 sessions of percutaneous electrolysis (350 µA, 80 s) leaving at least one week between sessions during a total of 8 weeks. During this time, subjects also were undergone a therapeutic exercise protocol of lower limbs resistance training. Results: Pain severity decreased after 3 weeks treatment (p = 0.01) and was practically abolished after 4-7 sessions at 8 weeks (p = 0.2). The lower limb functionality (VISA-P) increased after 3 weeks treatment and the major difference was found at 8 weeks post-intervention (p = 0.001). Thickness of the patellar tendon decreased after 8 weeks treatment (p = 0.01). Conclusions: The present work provides the first evidence that percutaneous electrolysis with a least invasive physiotherapy treatment targeted to peripheral tendon in combination with therapeutic resistance exercise diminished pain, improved funcitonality and showed a tendency to decreased thickness in subjects with patelallar tendinopathy.

Clinical features and myofascial pain syndrome in older adults with knee osteoarthritis by sex and age distribution: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: A source of myofascial pain and myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in muscles of the knee area could play a crucial role in the management of pain in osteoarthritis patients. The aim of this study was to describe and compare demographic, clinical and myofascial pain syndrome characteristics in older adults with knee osteoarthritis by sex and age distribution. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out. 114 patients with osteoarthritis were recruited in older-adult care centers. The diagnosis of active and/or latent MTrPs (AMTrPs/LMTrPs) was performed. Numerical Pain Rating Scale, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Barthel Index, Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Mini-Mental State Examination, EuroQol Group 5-Dimension Self-Report Questionnaire, chronicity, number of falls, and medication use were collected. All data were compared by sex (male or female) and age (< 70, 70-80, or > 80 years) distributions. RESULTS: The most prevalent muscles with AMTrPs and LMTrPs were the quadriceps vastus medialis (75.43%) and lateralis (65.78%), respectively. The clinical characteristics showed significant differences (P<0.05) for chronicity, WOMAC functionality and total scores, TUG, falls rate and medication between males and females, as well as for chronicity, Barthel index and TUG between age distributions. There were not any significant differences (P>0.05) by sex or age distribution according to the number and presence of active and latent MTrPs. CONCLUSIONS: The demographic and clinical features of older adults with knee osteoarthritis may be influenced by sex and age distribution. Nevertheless, the myofascial pain syndrome associated with knee osteoarthritis did not seem to be related to sex or age distribution.