The Influence of Dry Needling for Hypertonia and Spasticity Treatment on Neuropathic Pain in Lower Extremity of Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series Study

Summary

Spinal cord injury is a life-changing event that places a burden on the healthcare system, including caregivers and affected individuals. Studies do not provide a conclusive incidence rate due to methodological differences. However, a trend observed in recent years is an increasing incidence among the elderly population due to falls or non-traumatic spinal cord injury.

The clinical consequences of spinal cord injury include pain and spasticity, in addition to loss of function and activity. On average, 69% of spinal cord injury patients report pain, with one-third experiencing severe pain. A similar prevalence is seen for spasticity, which is often underreported among spinal cord injury patients. Unlike pain, spasticity is considered a common symptom in chronic spinal cord injury, with at least 35% of the SCI population suffering from this sensorimotor control disorder. These two symptoms suggest a correlation, yet clear evidence is lacking.

The secondary aim of this study is to explain the mechanisms of action of Dry Needling at various levels to better determine which subgroup of spinal cord injury patients would benefit most. A targeted study could optimize the effects of such a treatment: a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms could help with patient stratification and promote a more individualized approach, taking into account the pathogenesis of spasticity and the different mechanisms that can effectively modulate it.

Additionally, this study examines the effect of the dry needling technique on hypertonia and spasticity in the spastic calf muscles of spinal cord injury patients. Research has already shown that this technique has acute effects on hypertonia and spasticity in stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. However, reliable research on spinal cord injury is lacking-currently, only a case report has investigated these effects. Therefore, this study is well-suited to build upon that case report and provide more evidence.

Furthermore, this study serves as a prospective study to observe the correlation between neuropathic pain and spasticity over time. As a pilot study, it has established a collaboration with the REVARTE rehabilitation hospital, which has a large spinal cord injury population.

The research will be conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Steven Truijen (Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium, [email protected]) and Prof. Dr. Wim Saeys (Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium, [email protected]), organized from the University of Antwerp. During this study, no research costs will be charged to the patient, health insurance, or research environment.

Thank you in advance for your attention to our research.

Conditions

• Neuropathic Pain
• Spasticity
• Dry Needling Technique
• Spinal Cord Injury

Interventions

OTHER

dry needling

Dry Needling: The puncture is intramuscular and is performed with a non-beveled, filiform, solid needle, similar to those used in acupuncture, which has been shown to produce less damage at the muscle level. It does not infiltrate any substance. As many entries as necessary are made until the local twitch response (LTR) is exhausted.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Revalidatieziekenhuis RevArte

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Universiteit Antwerpen

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

85 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-09-06

Primary Completion

2025-02-04

Completion

2025-02-04

Countries

• Belgium

Study Locations