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) |