Effects Of Inner Heating Dry Needling Therapy On Nonspecific Chronic Neck Pain:A Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Study

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of inner heating dry needling therpy on nonspecific chronic neck pain(NCNP)by the musculoskeletal ultrasound technology to provide evidence for the clinical application of inner heating dry needling therpy;and to investigate the value of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the evaluation of nonspecific chronic neck pain.Methods 80 patients with NCNP were include as NCNP group,and randomly divided into the inner heating dry needling group(40 cases)and the thermomagnetic group(40 cases),and 20 healthy persons were included as the control group.The inner heating dry needling group was treated with inner heating dry needling therapy for a total of 1 time;the thermomagnetic group was treated with a thermomagnetic therapy device once a day for 5 times.Before treatment,the muscle thickness,ultrasound elastography strain satio(SR)of left and right trapezius,splenius capitis,semispinalis capitis,semispinalis cervicis,and multifidus in the NCNP group and the control group were measured,and the VAS score and NDI score of NCNP group were recorded.1 week after treatment and 1 month after treatment,the VAS score,NDI score,the muscle thickness and ultrasound elastography strain satio(SR)of left and right trapezius,splenius capitis,semispinalis capitis,semispinalis cervicis,and multifidus in the inner heating dry needling group and thermomagnetic group.Results(1)VAS score and NDI score: Before treatment,the VAS score and NDI score of the inner heating dry needling group and the thermomagnetic group were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05);the VAS score and NDI of the inner heating dry needling group and the thermomagnetic group after treatment were decreased.The VAS score and NDI score were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05)at 1 week and 1 month after treatment,and compared with 1 week after treatment,and 1 month after treatment the VAS score and NDI score were decreased(P<0.05).At 1 week and 1 month after treatment,the VAS score and NDI score of the inner heating dry needling group were significantly lower than those of the thermomagnetic group(P<0.05).(2)Muscle thickness of the posterior cervical muscles: Before treatment,the thickness of the trapezius,splenius capitis,semispinalis capitis,semispinalis cervicis,and multifidus of the left and right sides of the inner heating dry needling group were significantly lower than the control group(P<0.05);at 1 week and 1 month after treatment,compared with before treatment,the thickness of the trapezius,splenius capitis,semispinalis capitis,semispinalis cervicis,and multifidus of the left and right sides of the inner heating dry needling group were increased(P<0.05),the muscle thickness of the left and right lateral muscles of the thermomagnetic group was higher than that before treatment(P<0.05).(3)SR value of the posterior cervical muscles: Before treatment,the SR values of the trapezius,splenius capitis,semispinalis capitis,semispinalis cervicis,and multifidus of the left and right sides of the inner heating dry needling group were significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05);at 1 week and 1 month after treatment,compared with before treatment,the thickness of the trapezius,splenius capitis,semispinalis capitis,semispinalis cervicis,and multifidus of the left and right sides of the inner heating dry needling group were decreased(P<0.05).The SR value of the left and right multifidus of the thermomagnetic group was lower than that before treatment(P<0.05).Conclusion Inner heating dry needling therapy can reduce the muscle stiffness and increase muscle thickness in patients with NCNP,and relieve neck pain,improve cervical function,better than thermomagnetic therapy.Ultrasound examination of the musculoskeletal showed that the NCNP patients ratio of elastic strain rate of the posterior neck muscle increased and the muscle thickness decreased.