Beneficial Effects of Dry Needling for Treatment of Chronic Myofascial Pain Persist for 6 Weeks After Treatment Completion.

Background: Dry needling is an effective treatment for reducing pain associated with active myofascial trigger points (a-MTrPs) in the short term. The duration of the benefits of this treatment have not been fully assessed.

Objective: To determine whether the benefits of dry needling (DN) of a-MTrPs are sustained 6 weeks posttreatment.

A systematic comparison between subjects with no pain and pain associated with active myofascial trigger points.

Objective: To determine whether standard evaluations of pain distinguish subjects with no pain from those with myofascial pain syndromes (MPS) and active myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) and to assess whether self-reports of mood, function, and health-related quality of life differ between these groups.

Design: A prospective, descriptive study.

Setting: University.