Background: Previous studies have suggested that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have comorbid musculoskeletal disorders have a lower quality of life. However, there is limited data on the relationship between myofascial pain syndromes (MFPS) and MS. The aim of the study to investigate the frequency and impact of MFPS in patients with MS, to evaluate the effect of local anesthetic injections for short-term treatment.
Method: Three hundred ninety-eight patients with MS patients were evaluated during the study period. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria investigated for MFPS. Patients with active myofascial trigger points received local anesthetics blocks monthly and attended at least 4 follow-up appointments. Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Instrument 54 (MSQO-54), Beck Depression Scale, The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Fatigue Severity Scale, and Fatigue Impact Scale were administered before and after injections. The primary outcome was a 50 % reduction in pain intensity.
Results: One hundred thirty-seven patients with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) met the inclusion criteria. MFPS was present in 70 of 137 (51.9 %) patients. Thirty-one patients participated; however, 25 patients completed the study. From 3-months post injections, a significant decrease in NPRS was found (p<0.001); in addition, the scores of MSQO-54 have significantly increased and the scores of fatigue impact and severity tests were decreased (p<0.001). No serious complications were noted.
Conclusion: The results of this study support that MFPS can be experienced in patients with RRMS. Local anesthetic injections for trigger points may be an effective, tolerable, and inexpensive treatment for this patient group and contribute to significant reductions in pain severity scores and increase the quality of life.
Keywords: Fatigue; Multiple Sclerosis; Myofascial Pain Syndromes; Quality Of Life.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.