en فیزیک درمانی Physiotherapy پژوهشي Original Research Articles <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Background</span></span></b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">: </span></span><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Dry needling administered to the involved myofascial regions has demonstrated beneficial effects in managing the symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS)</span></span><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">. However, its impact on distant areas remains poorly understood. </span></span><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">This study was designed to explore the influence of dry needling of the upper trapezius (UT) muscle on both clinical manifestations and ultrasound findings of the contralateral UT muscle in patients with MPS.</span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Methods</span></span></b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">: Fourteen patients with MPS took part in this pre-post quasi-experimental study. After the initial diagnosis of the UT muscle trigger points, pain pressure threshold and pain intensity were examined. The UT muscle was examined by ultrasound to assess thickness, blood flow, and stiffness. Participants in the study received dry needling at the UT muscle trigger point on the right side. UT muscle evaluations were done before and after the treatment on both the ipsilateral and contralateral sides.</span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Results</span></span></b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">: The therapeutic effects of UT muscle dry needling were significant in reducing pain irritability, muscle thickness, blood flow, and stiffness on the ipsilateral side (p < 0.001). The contralateral effects in the left UT muscle were also significant, affecting pain irritability, muscle thickness, and blood flow (p < 0.001).</span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:200%"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Discussion</span></span></b><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">:</span></span> <span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Dry needling, in addition to direct therapeutic effects on the treated area, may improve the symptoms of the UT muscle with trigger points on the contralateral side of the treatment area in patients with MPS. Therefore, contralateral dry needling may represent an alternative intervention for patients in whom direct treatment is not possible.</span></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; myofascial trigger point, dry needling, muscle stiffness, pain, ultrasonography, regional blood flow 0 0 http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2688-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mandana Rezae mandana.rezae@gmail.com No Elham Soleimanzadeh elhamsoleimanzadeh75@gmail.com No Mina Ahmadi-kahjoogh mina_ot5520@yahoo.com No Hakimeh Adigozali adigozalih@gmail.com Yes Fatemeh Jahanjoo f.jahanjou@yahoo.com No