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Dry Needling and Exercise for Mid-portion Achilles Tendinopathy

NCT07642583 · Status: ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 74

Last updated 2026-06-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if adding ultrasound-guided tendon dry needling with mechanical needle stimulation to a standard heavy, slow resistance (HSR) exercise program improves outcomes for individuals with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy. Achilles tendinopathy is a common condition causing long-term pain and reduced function in the main heel tendon.

All participants in this study will engage in a standardized 12-week physical therapy exercise program targeting the calf and Achilles tendon complex. Exercises are performed three times per week, combining supervised clinic sessions and home exercises, with the workload safely progressing over time based on individual performance and pain monitoring.

In addition to the standard exercise program, participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups to evaluate the effect of the dry needling procedure. The experimental group will receive 6 sessions of ultrasound-guided tendon dry needling over approximately 6 weeks, where fine needles are inserted into the affected area of the tendon and gently rotated under ultrasound visualization to stimulate tissue remodeling. The control group will receive an identical schedule of "sham" (placebo) needling, using a toothpick device inside a needle sheath to mimic the sensation without actually penetrating the skin.

Improvements in pain, physical function, and physical performance (such as a heel-rise endurance test) will be recorded at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 26 weeks. Ultrasound imaging will also be used to evaluate structural changes inside the tendon, such as thickness and blood flow. The primary objective is to compare changes in Achilles-specific pain and function scores between the two groups at the conclusion of the 12-week intervention to determine if actual dry needling provides superior therapeutic benefits compared to exercise alone.

Conditions

  • Non-Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy

Interventions

OTHER

Dry needling

Dry needling is the use of filiform needles without injectate. The needles are 0.30mm wide and far smaller than typical needles used for injection. Needle fenestration is performed and followed by needle rotation in this study.

OTHER

Sham dry needling

This will be used as described by Hando et al 2025, using a toothpick to simulate a needle puncture.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Brooke Army Medical Center

    lead FED

Principal Investigators

  • Benjamin Hando, DSc, PhD · Army-Baylor Doctoral Fellowship in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-06-02
Primary Completion
2027-03-30
Completion
2027-07-07

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 NCT07642583 on ClinicalTrials.gov