Dry Needling Dosage in the Treatment of Myofascial Neck Pain

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Status: Completed

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Procedure: Dry needling; Procedure: Control

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02190890

16/2013

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study are (1) to determine the effectiveness of different dry needling dosages in the treatment of myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle in patients with myofascial neck pain, (2) to assess postneedling soreness and tenderness and (3) evaluate the influence of psychological factors on the perception of postneedling soreness.

Enrollment: 94 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 53 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of an active myofascial trigger point. Neck pain: Superior to 3 cm in VAS

Exclusion criteria

• Neck area: Fracture, radiculopathy, previous surgery, previous needling treatment in the last 6 months, previous analgesic medication (24 hours), psychiatric disease

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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94 participants in 4 patient groups

Dry needling: 4 local twitch responses

Experimental group

Description:

Deep dry needling in the active myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle. The muscle fibers were repeatedly perforated by rapidly inserting and partially withdrawing the needle from the MTrP until 4 local twitch responses were elicited.

Treatment:

Procedure: Dry needling

Dry needling: 6 local twitch responses

Experimental group

Description:

Deep dry needling in the active myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle. The muscle fibers were repeatedly perforated by rapidly inserting and partially withdrawing the needle from the MTrP until 6 local twitch responses were elicited.

Treatment:

Procedure: Dry needling

Dry needling: Until no more local twitch responses elicited

Experimental group

Description:

Deep dry needling in the active myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle. The muscle fibers were repeatedly perforated by rapidly inserting and partially withdrawing the needle from the MTrP until no more local twitch responses were elicited.

Treatment:

Procedure: Dry needling

Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

The needle was inserted 1.5 cm away from the trigger point in the trapezius muscle and withdrawn without any consecutive insertion.

Treatment:

Procedure: Control