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Comparison of the Effectiveness of Dry Needling Versus the Combination of Dry Needling and Local Anesthetic Injection in Myofascial Pain Syndrome of the Upper Trapezius Muscle: A Sham-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial

NCT07456735 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 90

Last updated 2026-03-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of three different treatment protocols in patients diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome of the upper trapezius muscle. A total of 90 volunteers aged between 18 and 65 years, with active trigger points identified in the upper trapezius muscle, will be included in the study. Participants will be randomly assigned to three groups:

* Group 1: Dry needling and stretching exercises
* Group 2: Dry needling following local anesthetic injection with 1% lidocaine and stretching exercises
* Group 3 (Control): Sham dry needling following local anesthetic injection with 1% lidocaine and stretching exercises

In all groups, treatment sessions will be administered at weeks 0, 1, 2, and 3; and participants will undergo clinical assessments at baseline (pre-treatment), at the end of treatment, one month after treatment completion, and three months after treatment completion. The primary outcome will be pain severity, measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS); secondary outcomes will include functional status evaluated with the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPADS) and QuickDASH, and muscle tenderness assessed by pressure pain threshold (PPT) measurement. The findings are expected to contribute scientifically to clinical practice by identifying the most effective treatment combination for managing upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome.

Conditions

  • Myofascial Pain of Upper Trapezius Muscle

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a procedure where an acupuncture needle is penetrated to the active myofascial trigger point in a muscle, until a twitch response is gained. Patients will be lied supine and an examiner with 10 years of experience will palpate the upper trapezius muscle. Identified active myofascial trigger points will be penetrated with acupuncture needles until the twitch response is obtained.

PROCEDURE

Sham Dry Needling

Sham dry needling is a procedure where the needle does not penetrate to the skin or the muscle, but the tube of the needle will be contacted to the skin.

PROCEDURE

Local Anesthehetic Injection

Local anesthetic injection is a procedure where the %1 lidocaine ( 4 cc) is injected to the myofascial trigger points. Patient will be lying supine and the examiner with 10 years of experience will palpate the trapezius muscles upper part. Identified trigger points will be penetrated by a needle and will be injected lidocaine.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Emre Ata, Assoc Prof

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-03-01
Primary Completion
2026-04-20
Completion
2026-06-10

Countries

  • Turkey (Türkiye)

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 NCT07456735 on ClinicalTrials.gov