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Dry Needling and Functional Improvement

NCT02838394 · Status: TERMINATED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2024-04-25

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Dry Needling (DN) is a skilled intervention that uses acupuncture filiform needles that are inserted into myofascial trigger points or other tissues underneath the skin. It is used to treat myofascial or neuromusculoskeletal pain and to improve movement impairments. Although more and more physical therapists add this treatment tool to their skill box, there is uncertainty about its working mechanism and its efficacy. The latter is partially due to the challenging task of finding and using a true control or sham treatment. The investigators will use blunted needles, which will not perforate the skin, as sham treatment.

This study will assess if DN of a trigger point in the gluteal muscles increases pain pressure threshold in that muscle, in another muscle innervated by the same segment (L4/5) and in an area not supplied by the same segment (i.e. the ipsilateral posterior shoulder). In addition, this study will assess if functionality, as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and 15-point Global Rating of Change Scale (GRoC) questionnaires, improves after 2-3 treatments (1 week) of DN.

Conditions

  • Myofascial Trigger Point Pain
  • Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Dry needling

Acupuncture filiform needles are inserted into myofascial trigger points

OTHER

Sham dry needling

Blunted needles will be pressed against the skin, but no actual penetration will occur

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Brigham Young University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Ulrike H Mitchell, PT, PhD · Brigham Young University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2016-12-31
Primary Completion
2023-08-31
Completion
2023-08-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02838394 on ClinicalTrials.gov