Table 4: Results table: treatment modalities and related outcomes.

Author Treatment Variables Results
Devereux, et al. [21] Control group: no intervention Jump Performance Global improvement in all experimental groups and results are statistically significant when the medial gastrocnemius is treated.
Group 1: Dry needling of MTrPs Rectus femoris
Group 2: Dry needling of MTrPs Medial gastrocnemius
Group 3: Dry needling of MTrPs in both
Bandy, et al. [20] Control group: Sham group (needles not introduced) Jump Performance Significant improvement in jump performance with treatment.
Experimental: DN of 4 sites on bilateral gastrocnemius muscle
Ye, et al. [22] Control group: Sham group. Same methods without application of Pulsed radiofrequency. Pain and quality of life Pain reduced and an improvement to the quality of life in the EG. Both results were statistically significant.
Experimental: ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency in the gastrocnemius Pulsed radiofrequency treatment once per week. PRF at 42 ℃ for 5 minutes and 3 mL of 0.5% levobupivacaine was injected into the trigger points.
Kim, et al. [16] Control group: no treatment Pain and Insomnia Both variables present statistically significant improvements.
Experimental: Injection of 1-2 mL of 0.25% lidocaine into each trigger points in the gastrocnemius muscles at 1, 2 and 4 weeks after the first visit.
Moghtaderi, et al. [26] Control group: ESWT for heel region (3000 shock waves/session of 0.2 mJ/mm2) Pain Both control and experimental groups present a statistically significant pain reduction with improved results in the EG.
Experimental: ESWT for heel region + gastrocnemius trigger points (3000 shock waves/session of 0.2 mJ/mm2 for the heel region and 400 shock waves/session of 0.2 mJ/mm2 per each trigger point)
Grieve, et al. [2] Control group: no Pain, ROM and MTrPs prevalence Treatment received by the EG allows an inactivation of the ATrPs and an elimination of the LTrPs. An increased ROM dorsiflexion is also observed.
Experimental: MTrPs intervention (pressure release) + self MTrP release + home stretching program.
Grieve, et al. [25] Control group: Sham therapy ROM Treatment of MTrPs of both soleus and gastrocnemius muscles allows for statistically significant results in increased ROM.
Experimental group: 10 min of TrP pressure release treatment to the identified MTrPs in the Gastrocnemius and Soleus followed by 1x 10s passive stretch.
Henry, et al. [17] Control group: No Pain, Mobility and Depression/Anxiety Levels EG presents a significant pain reduction and an improvement of mobility. However, no effect on depression or anxiety levels were found.
Experimental: injections of local anesthetic (0.25% bupivacaine, 25-gauge, 1.5-inch needle).
Grieve, et al. [24] Control group: Sham therapy Dorsiflexion ROM Treatment of MTrPs allows for a statistically significant increase of ROM dorsiflexion.
Experimental: Ischemic compression release during 3 minutes on each MTrPs
Ge, et al. [23] Control group: No Reflex responses of the tibial nerve Treatment of MTrPs of gastrocnemius shows an improvement of the reflex response parameters.
Experimental: Electrical stimuli into latent MTrP of gastrocnemius
Experimental: Electrical stimuli into gastrocnemius (no MTrP)
Li, et al. [18] Control group: EMG-guided intramuscular injection (bolus of either hypertonic saline (6%, 0.1 mL, each), glutamate (0.1 mL, 0.5 M, each), or isotonic saline (0.9%, 0.1 mL, each) in no-MTrPs Pain Injections of glutamate or isotonic saline solution induce an increased level of pain that is statistically significant. This occurs regardless of if the injections are in the non-MTrPs, suggesting a non-nociceptive hypersensitivity at latent MTrPs.
Experimental: EMG-guided intramuscular injection (bolus of either hypertonic saline (6%, 0.1 mL, each), glutamate (0.1 mL, 0.5 M, each), or isotonic saline (0.9%, 0.1 mL, each) in Latent MTrPs gastrocnemius.
Ge, et al. [19] Control group: Bolus injection of glutamate/isotonic saline (0.9%, 0.1 ml) into non-MTrP (2 sessions) Pain The results showed that glutamate and isotonic saline injections into the latent MTrPs induced higher peak pain intensity than into the non-MTrPs.
Experimental group: injection of glutamate (0.1 ml, 0.5 M) into a latent MTrP and a control point (a non-MTrP)