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Muscle Position and Dry Needling Efficacy

NCT07629141 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 80

Last updated 2026-07-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Currently, no previous studies have investigated how the position of a muscle before dry needling may influence the outcome and effectiveness of the treatment.

This study aims to demonstrate whether the position of the upper trapezius muscle during dry needling treatment influences the outcome of that treatment in subjects with neck pain.

A total of 46 participants with chronic neck pain will be recruited and randomly assigned to two groups: a dry needling group with the muscle in a stretched position and a dry needling group with the muscle in a shortened position. A total of two treatment sessions will be performed, separated by a 7-day interval. The primary outcome measure will be the intensity of neck and head pain, measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Other variables to be measured include the cervical disability index, kinesiophobia, and catastrophizing (using a self-completion questionnaire), as well as participants' expectations and post-needling pain.

Conditions

Interventions

OTHER

Dry needling technique with the shoulder in full adduction.

Ten incisions will be made in a posteroanterior direction while the patient lies prone and the muscle is grasped with a pincer grip between the first three fingers. The technique will be applied to the area that is mechanically most hyperalgesic and related to the reproduction of the patient's pain.

OTHER

Dry needling technique with the shoulder in 90° abduction.

Ten incisions will be made in a posteroanterior direction while the patient lies prone and the muscle is grasped with a pincer grip between the first three fingers. The technique will be applied to the area that is mechanically most hyperalgesic and related to the reproduction of the patient's pain.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Alcala

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-08
Primary Completion
2026-09-15
Completion
2026-12-15

Countries

  • Spain

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

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 NCT07629141 on ClinicalTrials.gov