Treatment of Fascial Pain with Glucopuncture

Abstract

Over the last decade, clinicians worldwide discovered that fascia plays an important role in musculoskeletal posture, balance and tensegrity. Most physicians are not fully aware that the fascial system also contains a lot of nociceptors. This may explain its potential role in vague musculoskeletal pain syndromes. However, treating fascial pain effectively is not an easy task. Recently, it has been postulated that glucopuncture – a technique which applies multiple regional injections with dextrose 5% - can regulate pain originating from fascial dysfunction. The mode of action is probably related to ATP and TRPV1. Especially the superficial layer of fascia is an interesting target for regional injections when dealing with a patient with vague pain patterns. It is particularly interesting for sports injuries, neuralgia and chronic nonrheumatic musculoskeletal pain. The major advantage of glucopuncture over steroid injections is the interesting safety profile of dextrose 5%. The disadvantages of dextrose versus steroids is that multiple injections and multiple sessions are required. The latter is particularly the case when dealing with chronic myofascial pain. It is hypothesized that glucopuncture has a very interesting balance between efficacy versus side effects. More research in this field may confirm our preliminary findings. And we hope to spread this message worldwide, especially in low-income communities.