Active clinical trials for "Myofascial Pain Syndromes"

Fibromyalgia (FM) is an idiopathic disease affecting approximately 3% of the world population, primarily diagnosed in middle-aged women. Although FM is mainly characterized by chronic pain and fatigue, reduced muscular strength and flexibility are common symptoms associated with the presentation of the disorder. Interestingly, the etiology and underlying mechanism of FM are not completely understood, but previous findings suggest that autonomic dysfunction may explain some of the FM symptoms. Compared to age-matched healthy individuals, patients with FM have an attenuated autonomic function which is associated with a reduction in vagal tone and increase in sympathetic activity. Therefore, autonomic function is a worthwhile target intervention in individuals with FM. Although traditional exercise ( both aerobic and resistance) has been shown to effectively improve HRV parameters and FM symptoms, most FM patients display a decline in adherence to traditional exercise and continue to experience considerable pain and fatigue years after the original diagnosis ultimately requiring medication to control their symptoms.Thus, new approaches are needed to improve autonomic function and clinical symptoms in patients with FM, which will ultimately improve their physical and emotional functioning leading to a better quality of life. Tai Chi (TC) is a form of ancient Chinese martial art which integrates slow movements, controlled breathing and mental concentration. TC training is safe for special populations and has previously shown to decrease pain, fatigue as well as other FM related symptoms.However, the potential role of TC training on autonomic function is largely unexplored. The investigators hypothesis is that 12 weeks of TC training would improve our primary outcome of autonomic function through improvements in sympathovagal balance, and the secondary outcomes measures of FM symptoms (pain, fatigue and sleep quality), strength and flexibility.

Fibromyalgia syndrome represents a "spectrum disorder" characterized by widespread chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, mood and cognitive alterations. The most accepted models explaining the causes of the disease have focused on the reduced pain inhibitory systems activity, that allow low intensity stimuli to be processed easier, and that finally amplify pain stimuli. One of the interventions approved for Fibromyalgia is Pregabalin, which demonstrated to be effective reducing pain. Different studies in animals have shown that it works reducing the liberation of neuronal messengers, which slow the conduction of pain signals. Although studies in humans have confirmed Pregabalin clinical benefits, there are still few studies aiming to explain how it actually works in patients with fibromyalgia, though. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which Pregabalin reduces pain in patients with fibromyalgia would allow designing new interventions to enhance its clinical effects. Thus, the investigators propose to study in real-time the electrical, vascular and hormonal response of the brain of patients with fibromyalgia who receive a single dose of Pregabalin. The vascular response will be assessed using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging techniques. The electrical response will be assessed using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). The hormonal response will be assessed in blood, measuring neurotrophins (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) and inflammatory mediators (Tumor Necrosis Factor). These responses will be studied in consideration of the patients' characteristics that will be assessed using validated scales. Taken into account the above considerations, a crossover, double-blinded randomized clinical trial is proposed. In the investigators' study, patients and healthy volunteers will be asked to visit the investigators' laboratory in three opportunities: one for a baseline assessment, and the other two to test the effects of either Pregabalin 150 mg PO or Placebo. All participants will eventually receive both, Pregabalin and Placebo. In each visit a brain hemodynamic, electrical, hormonal and clinical evaluation will be performed.

Ischemic compression is considered the fastest and most common method for providing relief in trigger point therapy, whereas cupping therapy is not a method often used for this purpose. The muscle that has a great impact on tension-type headaches and neck pain is the trapezius, whose upper fibres are where the most common trigger point in the back is located. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of single ischemic compression and single dry cupping therapy on the most common trigger point, on the descending part of the trapezius muscle.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS); It is a chronic condition characterized by widespread body pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, impaired cognitive functions, and anxiety (1). FMS; chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome, temperomandibular joint dysfunction, myofascial pain, functional dyspepsia, restless leg syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder are among central sensitization syndromes (2,3).

The principal study aims at evaluating the efficiency of rTMS maintenance sessions on the clinical effect of a rTMS cure in fibromyalgic subjects. This complementary study consists in the evaluation of the experimental sensitivity to mechanical pain (pressure application on the forearm) of subjects presenting fibromyalgia before and after rTMS treatment (21 days), and to put the results in relation to the clinical improvement and the psychometric evaluations (depression,fibromyalgia impact questionnaire, catastrophism).

Fibromyalgia (FMS), defined as the presence of both chronic widespread pain and the finding of 11/18 tender points on examination, affects 2% of the general population. Drug therapy for FMS is largely symptomatic as there is not yet a complete understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. In the past 17 years, supervised aerobic exercise has emerged as an important treatment modality to improve pain, aerobic capacity, function, and well-being. Individuals who are able to adhere to exercise almost always maintain the symptomatic benefits of exercise. Unfortunately, the rate of exercise adherence six months after the completion of a well-structured supervised exercise program is disappointingly low. Furthermore, although the efficacy of supervised aerobic exercise in the research setting is well documented, the applicability of such intervention in the clinic setting is doubtful. Therefore, we propose to conduct the Research to Encourage Exercise for Fibromyalgia (REEF), a randomized attention-controlled trial whose primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of telephone-delivered motivational interviewing (MI) to encourage exercise, in improving exercise adherence and self-report physical function (co-primary outcome measures) for FMS patients. REEF will enroll 200 FMS patients, randomizing them to either the MI group or the attention-control (AC) group. Participants from each group will receive a total of 6 telephone calls within a 12-week period. Prior to the phone calls, participants from both groups will receive an individualized exercise prescription and 2 supervised exercise training sessions to get them started on an exercise program. All subjects will undergo comprehensive outcome assessment at baseline, week 12, week 24, and week 36. The secondary aim of this proposal is to determine the mediators between MI and improvement in self-report physical function. The proposed research is significant because our focus is the promotion of adherence to an exercise program, of adequate intensity, in order to maximize functioning and well-being for patients with FMS. The use of a predominantly home-based exercise program and telephone-delivered MI by a trained licensed practice nurse (LPN) could potentially make the proposed intervention more accessible to the greater majority of FMS patients. Furthermore, if proven efficacious, MI could readily be applied to other chronically painful conditions (e.g. chronic back pain).

This study tests the effects of social support and education on the health and well-being of people with fibromyalgia (FMS). We recruited 600 adults with a confirmed diagnosis of FMS from a large health maintenance organization. We randomly assigned the study participants to one of three groups. People in the social support group met with others who suffer from FMS for 2 hours every week for 10 weeks, and then monthly for an additional 10 months. The social support and education group also had 10 2-hour weekly meetings followed by 10 monthly meetings with others who suffer from FMS. Members of this group learned about the disease and ways they can manage it themselves. The third group participated only in the five assessment periods. The study lasted 4 years.

Aims:The study was conducted to investigate the effect of Yoga-based exercise program on pain, range of motion(ROM), sleep quality, depression and quality of life in female patients with myofascial pain dysfunction(MPD) of temporomandibular disorders . Methods: MPD will be included in the study. Yoga based exercise program will be performed to the first group as 3 times in a week for 6 weeks. The second group will be the control group. Outcome measurements; pain ,sleep quality, depression and quality of life will be evaluated. Evaluations will be repeated before and 6 weeks after exercise.

This is a randomized clinical trial, aimed to analyse the effects of a potentially anti-inflammatory nutritional intervention in disease assessment parameters, inflammatory markers, and quality of life of Fibromyalgia patients. Patients in the intervention group will adopt an anti-inflammatory diet and a diet with a low ingestion of fermentable oligo-, di- and monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), for a 3 months period. Group control will adopt a diet based on general recommendations for healthy eating in accordance with the World Health Organization.

The investigators plan to use functional neuroimaging (fMRI) to understand the brain systems affected when hypnosis and hypnotic analgesia are augmented with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a form of non-invasive brain stimulation to 100 people with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. The investigators will measure the effect of rTMS-augmentation on the brain networks underlying hypnotizability, as well as the effect of rTMS-augmentation on hypnotic analgesia networks. The investigators hope to demonstrate that a combination of these psychological and neuromodulatory treatments will be more effective than hypnosis alone, thereby enhancing the depth of hypnosis, range of hypnosis and the efficacy of hypnotic analgesia and hopefully creating a new treatment modality for individuals suffering from pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia pain.