Myofascial trigger point pain syndrome (MTrPS) is a hyperirritable point that occurs on muscle or fascia that can cause impairment, functional disability, and participation restrictions as well as affecting quality of life. Therapeutic Ultrasound is one of the methods in the management of MTrPs. However, its effectiveness on MTrPs is unclear. The objective of the study is to systematically review randomized controlled trials (RCT) studies to determine the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound on MTrPs. Seven electronic databases (CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar and Pedro) were used to identify the possible studies. Then, three independent authors assessed the eligibility of the title and abstract of the retrieved references. Full articles of eligible studies were then retrieved for further assessment. Data extraction and methodological quality of the studies were assessed by the three authors using PEDro assessment scale. Six identified RCTs obtained shows good quality of methodological studies. All the studies show significant effect on pain and range of motion at post intervention. However, the studies failed to show any statistical significance in long term effects. Additionally, superiority on local injection and ischemic compression also failed to show any significant differences. There are lack of evidences regarding the effectiveness of therapeutic US on functional status, participation restrictions and quality of life. As a conclusion, there are potential benefits of therapeutic ultrasound on myofascial trigger point syndrome. However, the long term effects still remain unclear. More excellent methodological studies should be conducted to investigate the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound on impairment, functional status and Quality of Life (QOL).
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