Evaluation of the Effect of Adding Sodium Bicarbonate to Lidocaine in the Treatment of Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Summary

This study is designed to evaluate a method to improve the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), a common condition that causes muscle pain, tenderness, and reduced movement due to the presence of trigger points in muscles. A commonly used treatment for this condition is the injection of a local anesthetic called lidocaine into these trigger points to relieve pain. However, the pain relief from lidocaine alone may be temporary. In this study, we are investigating whether adding a small amount of sodium bicarbonate to lidocaine can improve its effectiveness. Sodium bicarbonate may reduce the pain during injection and help the anesthetic work faster and possibly last longer. Participants in this study will be randomly assigned into one of two groups: One group will receive lidocaine alone. The other group will receive lidocaine mixed with sodium bicarbonate. The injection will be performed once into the painful muscle trigger points under sterile conditions. Pain levels will be assessed using a simple pain scale, and muscle activity will be measured using a non-invasive technique called surface electromyography (sEMG), which records muscle electrical activity. These measurements will be taken before the injection, immediately after, and during follow-up visits. Participants may experience mild discomfort during or after the injection, but all procedures are routinely used in clinical practice. Safety measures will be in place to manage any possible side effects. The goal of this study is to determine whether the combined injection provides better pain relief, improves muscle function, and enhances patient comfort compared to lidocaine alone.

Timeline

Start

2026-05-01

Primary completion

2026-09-01

Completion

2026-10-01

Publications

• Background Curatolo M, Petersen-Felix S, Arendt-Nielsen L, Lauber R, Hogstrom H, Scaramozzino P, Luginbuhl M, Sieber TJ, Zbinden AM. Adding sodium bicarbonate to lidocaine enhances the depth of epidural blockade. Anesth Analg. 1998 Feb;86(2):341-7. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199802000-00024.
• Background McKay W, Morris R, Mushlin P. Sodium bicarbonate attenuates pain on skin infiltration with lidocaine, with or without epinephrine. Anesth Analg. 1987 Jun;66(6):572-4. No abstract available.
• Background Burns CA, Ferris G, Feng C, Cooper JZ, Brown MD. Decreasing the pain of local anesthesia: a prospective, double-blind comparison of buffered, premixed 1% lidocaine with epinephrine versus 1% lidocaine freshly mixed with epinephrine. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006 Jan;54(1):128-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2005.06.043.
• Background Ghasemi M, Mosaffa F, Hoseini B, Behnaz F. Comparison of the Effect of Bicarbonate, Hyaluronidase, and Lidocaine Injection on Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Anesth Pain Med. 2020 Jun 23;10(3):e101037. doi: 10.5812/aapm.101037. eCollection 2020 Jun.

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