Lidocaine Needling in Myofascial Pain Syndrome for Palliative Oncologic Care: A Randomized Clinical Study

• Published in: Journal of palliative medicine Vol. 27; no. 7; p. 888
• Main Authors: Santos-Vilar, Laís Araujo Dos, Freitas-Passos, Isabella Fioravante, Rossi, Beatriz Menin, Blauth, Fernando Gioppo, Pontes, Victor Carvalho Brito, Moriguti, Julio César, Riberto, Marcelo, Lima, Nereida Kilza da Costa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthetics, Local - administration & dosage; Anesthetics, Local - therapeutic use; Brazil; Cancer Pain - drug therapy; Cancer Pain - therapy; Female; Humans; Lidocaine - administration & dosage; Lidocaine - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Myofascial Pain Syndromes - drug therapy; Myofascial Pain Syndromes - therapy; Neoplasms - complications; Pain Measurement; Palliative Care - methods; Single-Blind Method; Brazil; cancer pain; palliative care; myofascial pain syndrome
• ISSN: 1557-7740
• DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2023.0641

Physical pain is highly prevalent and impacts the well-being of patients with advanced oncologic disease. Although myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) can be one of the components of pain in cancer patients on palliative care (PC), so far there is no evidence about the benefit of treatment with 1% lidocaine needling. To evaluate the efficacy of MPS treatment with injection of 1% lidocaine on the reduction of pain in cancer patients on PC. Single-blind randomized clinical trial. Patients aged 50 years or older with end-stage cancer, admitted to a cancer ward or monitored during radiotherapy in three Brazilian hospitals, with a diagnosis of MPS with a pain intensity of five or more according to the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The patients were divided into two groups: trigger point (TP) injection with 1% lidocaine and control. Pain intensity was assessed with the VAS, pain threshold with an algometer, and the medications being used were determined before and 72 hours after the intervention. Thirty patients (15 per group) were assessed. After 72 hours, there was a reduction in referred pain intensity (  < 0.001) and an increase in pressure threshold (  = 0.007) in the intervention group (IG), with no difference in the control. The frequency of individuals who reduced the doses and/or classes of pain medications was higher in the IG (  = 0.011). One percent lidocaine needling in TPs was an effective therapy for pain reduction in MPS.