The journal of alternative and complementary medicine : research on paradigm, practice, and policy
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J Altern Complement Med · Sep 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialAdditional effects of transcranial direct-current stimulation and trigger-point injection for treatment of myofascial pain syndrome: a pilot study with randomized, single-blinded trial.
Chronic pain caused by myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) results in generalized and debilitating conditions. Trigger-point injection (TPI) is the mainstay of MPS management to reduce acute and localized pain. Other adjunctive intervention to modulate the central pain pathway might be helpful if they are combined with TPI. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS), which is a form of neurostimulation, has been reported to be safe and effective in treating chronic pain by changing cortical excitability. ⋯ This study suggests that tDCS over DLPFC may have additional effects with TPI to reduce pain in patients with MPS. tDCS over DLPFC can be used to reverse central pain pathway by modulating cortical plasticity.