مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Pulsed radiofrequency treatment of painful trigger points: a case series

Abstract :

Aim : Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment has been proposed as an alternative therapy to provide prolonged analgesia for myofascial pain syndrome. PRF has shown potential to provide analgesia that appears to be prolonged when compared with trigger point injections.Material and Methods: Symptomatic trigger points were identified and prepared with alcohol. A 22-gauge 5 cm insulated radiofrequency needle with a 5 mm active tip was passed into the trigger point. The needle was then brought to 42°C using PRF for 2 minutes. This treatment was then repeated.Results: Ten patients were treated. An applied average number of PRF (minimum-maximum) 3.5 (2 -6) was detected. Before and after the treatment the VAS mean values (± sd), 8.3±1.2 and 2.7±1.3 were respectively. The difference in VAS values before and after treatment was statistically significant (p 0.05). PRF application in patients with an average of 4.4 ± 2.1 months was achieved in long-term analgesia. No complications were noted.Discussion: Our study suggests that PRF could be a minimally invasive and effective treatment method for myofascial pain syndrome.