# Acute Effect of a Single Functional Neurology Intervention on Muscular Trigger Point
## 4 Discussion
Studies have shown that while dry needling can be effective in reducing pain and disability associated with MTrPs, it often results in post-needling soreness and may require multiple sessions to achieve significant relief [50]. This systematic review comparing dry needing and manual therapy found that both methods are effective for treating myofasical pain syndrome, but dry needling tends to have a higher incidence of short-term adverse effects, such as pain and bruising at the needle insertion sites [50]. In this line, thermotherapy, which uses heat to increase tissue temperature, promotes vasodilation and enhances blood flow, thereby improving tissue extensibility and metabolic rate [51]. While effective, these methods require multiple sessions to achieve significant results and may not address the underlying neurological dysfunction contributing to MTrPs. Studies have shown that both cryotherapy and thermotherapy can reduce pain and improve function in patients with myofasical pain, but the effects are generally short-term and may need to be combined with other therapeutic modalities for sustained relief [52]. Additionally, combining dry needing with other therapeutic approaches, such as manual therapy, has been shown to enhance the overall effectiveness of the treatment, suggesting that a multimodal approach may be beneficial for patients with MTrPs [53]. Then, while traditional methods like dry needing and thermotherapy can be effective for managing MTrPs, they often require multiple sessions and may not address the underlying neurological dysfunction. Functional neurology interventions, by contrast, offer a non-invasive alternative that can potentially provide rapid and sustained relief through enhanced neuromuscular control and improved blood flow. This study was structured as a randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design to evaluate the acute effects of functional neurology on myofasical trigger points. The between-group comparisons confirmed that the improvements observed in the experimental group were not present in the control group, reinforcing the validity of the intervention. These findings highlight the necessity of using rigorous experimental designs to assess novel therapeutic techniques. The present research assessed the immediate effects of a single functional neurology intervention, and no follow-up measurements were conducted to determine the duration of the observed benefits. While the results indicate significant improvements in the pressure pain threshold and peripheral vascular response, it remains unknown how long these effects persist beyond the post-intervention assessment. This represents a key distinction from studies evaluating interventions with multiple sessions or long-term follow-up. Compared to traditional approaches such as dry needling, manual therapy, or pharmacological treatments, the observed effects of the functional neurology intervention were obtained after a single session. However, it is important to acknowledge that many of these interventions have been evaluated over multiple sessions, with longer follow-up periods. Therefore, while this study provides initial evidence of the potential efficacy of functional neurology for myofasical trigger points, future research should investigate whether repeated sessions lead to sustained improvements over time.