Table 2.
Characteristics of included studies.
| References | Age, year (Mean± SD) | Sample size (female) | Intervention type | Intervention duration | MTrPs location | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiraly et al.34 (2018) | 62.62±9.62 | 61 (54) | Laser | 3 weeks | Trapezius | VAS and NDI |
| 57.26±14.31 | Shock wavea | |||||
| Ahmed et al.35 (2020) | 39.4±11.6 | 45 (0) | Manual | 5 days | Upper trapezius muscle | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 38.7±13.3 | Laser | |||||
| 38.4±13.3 | Controla | |||||
| Rahbar et al.36 (2021) | 38.09±9.67 | 72 (54) | Shock wave+neck stretching | 4 weeks | Neck and upper back area | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 36.72±6.92 | US+neck stretching | |||||
| 40.50±10.13 | Neck stretching | |||||
| Yildirim et al.37 (2018) | 29.8±5.2 | 54 (31) | US | NR | Trapezius muscle | VAS and PPT |
| 31.1±5.7 | Placeboa | |||||
| Cabrera-Martos et al.38 (2022) | 28.84±5.78 | 40 (30) | Manual | 4 weeks | Neck | VAS |
| 32.50±4.68 | Controla | |||||
| Lytras et al.39 (2020) | 46.80±8.85 | 40 (30) | Therapeutic exercise+INIT | 34 weeks | Neck | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 45.80±7.73 | Therapeutic exercisea | |||||
| Taheri et al.40 (2021) | 46.6±12.6 | 40 (28) | Shock wave | 3 weeks | Neck | VAS and NDI |
| 48.5±12.1 | Phonophoresisa | |||||
| Iaroshevskyi et al.41 (2019) | NR | 87 (44) | Biomechanical correction of the musculoskeletal+therapeutic exercise | 10 days | Neck | VAS |
| NR | Therapeutic exercisea | |||||
| Ay et al.42 (2017) | 44.80±17.19 | 73 (50) | KT | 15 days | Upper neck and levator scapula muscle | VAS, PPT, and NPAD |
| 44.10±17.45 | Shama | |||||
| Taheri et al.43 (2016) | 45.30±7.70 | 46 (43) | Laser+stretching exercises and medication | 2 weeks | Upper trapezius | VAS and NDI |
| 42.30±10.40 | Shock wave+stretching exercises and medicationa | |||||
| Aktürk et al.26 (2018) | 33.45±8.02 | 60 (40) | ESWT | 2 weeks | MPS | VAS and PPT |
| 35.45±8.07 | Sham ESWTa | |||||
| 35.65±11.03 | US | |||||
| Azatcam et al.44 (2017) | 41.56±9.50 | 89 (48) | TENS+stretching exercises | 2 weeks | Trapezius | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 37.13±9.96 | KT+stretching exercises | |||||
| 36.34±10.10 | Stretching exercisesa | |||||
| Kim et al.45 (2014) | 44.76±12.71 | 99 (86) | NSAID patcha | 2 weeks | Upper trapezius | NRS, PPT, and NDI |
| 49.17±13.52 | NSAID patch+TENS | |||||
| 47.56±10.67 | NSAID patch+HT | |||||
| 48.88±11.11 | NSAID patch+CAP | |||||
| Dündar et al.46 (2015) | 40.2±12.9 | 76 (76) | HILT + exercise | 3 weeks | Trapezius | VAS and NDI |
| 38.4±12.1 | Placebo HILT + exercisea | |||||
| Acar and Yilmaz47 (2012) | 35.70±11.12 | 60 (51) | HT+ exercise | NR | Neck and upper back area | MPQ |
| 38.55±13.04 | Exercise | |||||
| 37.50±10.45 | Controla | |||||
| Lai et al.48 (2014) | 53.9±11.2 | 48 (16) | FIR | 1 week | MPS | VAS and PPT |
| 56.9±9.2 | Controla | |||||
| Cho et al.49 (2012a) | 47.67±10.49 | 36 (NR) | Stabilization exercises | NR | Upper Trapezius | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 47.06±13.53 | ESWT | |||||
| 48.08±12.24 | ESWT + stabilization exercises | |||||
| Cho et al.50 (2012b) | 40.33±14.15 | 61 (52) | CAP patch | 4 weeks | Trapezius | VAS and NDI |
| 42.22±11.91 | Hydrogel patcha | |||||
| Kavadar et al.51 (2015) | 37.43±9.07 | 59 (49) | US | NR | Trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 35.83±5.68 | Placeboa | |||||
| Sumen et al.52 (2015) | 41.66±9.26 | 45 (32) | LLLT + stretching exercises | 10 days | Upper trapezius | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 39.00±11.65 | IMS + stretching exercises | |||||
| 35.26±11.70 | Stretching exercisesa | |||||
| Lai et al.53 (2017) | 37.55±7.96 | 189 (129) | FIR | NR | Upper trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 36.67±7.04 | Placeboa | |||||
| Moraska et al.54 (2018) | 28.4±6.7 | 25 (22) | Massage | NR | Upper trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 29.7±6.6 | Sham USa | |||||
| Rangon et al.55 (2018) | 55.40±9.10 | 20 (20) | Ischemic compression + KT | 5 weeks | Upper trapezius | NRS and PPT |
| 54.40±4.90 | KTa | |||||
| Chao et al.56 (2016) | 30.0±6.5 | 31 (28) | MPRa | 7 days | Upper trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 28.0±4.6 | MPR + KT | |||||
| Kannan57 (2012) | 32.00±9.33 | 45 (22) | Therapeutic US | 5 days | Upper trapezius | VAS |
| 29.00±10.23 | Laser | |||||
| 31.24±9.34 | Ischemic compression | |||||
| Kim et al.58 (2016) | 71.15±5.06 | 45 (40) | Self-exercise with a therapeutic inflatable ball | NR | Upper trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 67.71±5.65 | US | |||||
| Alayat et al.59 (2020) | 28.47±5.07 | 50 (34) | Laser+PRT | 4 weeks | Upper trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 27.70±4.56 | Sham laser + PRTa | |||||
| Mohammadi et al.60 (2016) | 27.86±6.64 | 28 (28) | PRT | NR | Upper trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 28.29±6.58 | Controla | |||||
| Lin et al.61 (2012) | 33.39±11.04 | 55 (51) | Lidocaine patch | 1 week | Upper trapezius | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 36.19±12.34 | Placebo patcha | |||||
| Öztürk et al.62 (2016) | 29.95±4.90 | 37 (28) | KT | NR | Trapezius | VAS and PPT |
| 33.86±8.47 | Shama | |||||
| Bingölbali et al.63 (2023) | 34.22±2.00 | 80 (55) | HT, TENS, and USa | 4 weeks | Trapezius or levator scapulae | VAS and NPAD |
| 34.27±1.40 | Massage +HT, TENS and US | |||||
| Rodriguez-Huguet et al.64 (2018) | 38.24±9.06 | 41 (21) | MRT | 2 weeks | Suboccipital and upper trapezius muscles | VAS and PPT |
| 37.80±8.75 | US + TENS + massage | |||||
| Ibrahim et al.65 (2017) | 23.61±4.11 | 30 (NR) | Shock wave | 2 weeks | Trapezius | PPT and NDI |
| 25.64±5.39 | Pressure releasea | |||||
| Yildirim et al.66 (2016) | 32.3±7.0 | 60 (45) | HT+TENS+USa | 5 days | Trapezius or levator scapulae muscles | VAS, PPT, and NDI |
| 33.0±6.3 | HT+TENS+US+manual therapy | |||||
| Kaur and Kapila67 (2017) | NR | 20 (NR) | Massage | 2 weeks | Upper trapezius muscles | NRS and NDI |
| NR | US | |||||
| Gezgİnaslan et al.68 (2020) | 45.0±12.0 | 94 (78) | ESWT | 2 weeks | MPS | VAS and NDI |
| 43.3±11.9 | Controla | |||||
| Kalichman et al.69 (2018) | 25.44±1.63 | 30 (21) | KT | NR | Upper trapezius | PPT |
| 26.06±1.88 | Controla | |||||
| Buttagat et al.70 (2016) | 21.72±2.05 | 50 (43) | Massage | NR | Upper trapezius | VAS |
| 22.76±4.10 | Controla | |||||
| Altan et al.71 (2005) | 43.48±2.42 | 48 (32) | Laser therapy | 2 weeks | NR | VAS and PPT |
| 43.32±2.10 | Controla | |||||
| Mohamadi et al.72 (2017) | 21.63±1.59 | 58 (NR) | Friction massage | 3 days | Upper trapezius muscle | PPT |
| 22.04±1.76 | Kinesio taping |
a
Represents control group.
CAP, capsaicin; ESWT, extracorporeal shock wave therapy; FIR, far-infrared ray; HILT, high intensity laser therapy; HT, heat; IMS, intramuscular stimulation therapy; INIT, the integrated neuromuscular inhibition technique; KT, Kinesio taping; LLLT, low-level laser therapy; MPQ, McGill pain questionnaire; MPR, manual pressure release; MPS, myofascial pain syndrome; MRT, myofascial release therapy; MTrPs, myofascial trigger points; NDI, neck disability index; NPAD, neck pain and disability scale; NR, not reported; NRS, numerical rating scale; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; PPT, pressure pain threshold; PRT, pressure release technique; TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; US, ultrasound; VAS, visual analog scale.