Dry Needling in Post-operative Shoulder Pain

César Fernández-de-las-Peñas

Status: Completed

Conditions: Rotator Cuff Tear Surgical Repair; Proximal Humeral Fracture Fixated With PHILOS© Plate

Treatments: Other: Physical therapy plus dry needling; Other: Physical therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02122315

CP13-060

Details and patient eligibility

About

Fractures of the proximal humerus account for between 5% and 8% off all reported fractures. Post-operative shoulder pain is highly frequent. Due to either surgical procedure, soft tissues surrounding the shoulder area can be damaged. The purpose of the current clinical trial was to compare the effects of physiotherapy versus physiotherapy plus TrP-DN on pain and function in patients who exhibit post-operative shoulder pain after a PHILOS procedure for proximal humeral fixation or rotator cuff tear repair.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• proximal humeral fracture
• rotator cuff tear
• open reduction and internal fixation with PHILOS© plate (Synthes, Switzerland)
• rotator cuff tear repair
• post-operative shoulder pain
• active TrPs in the neck-shoulder muscles

Exclusion criteria

• no active TrPs
• multiple fracture
• previous surgery
• cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy
• diagnosis of fibromialgia
• having undergone any physical therapy intervention in the year before the surgery
• fear of needles
• any contraindication for dry needling

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Physical therapy plus dry needling

Experimental group

Description:

Best-evidence physical therapy intervention in addition to a single session of TrP-DN targeted to active TrPs in the neck-shoulder muscles.

Treatment:

Other: Physical therapy plus dry needling

Physical therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

Best-evidence physical therapy intervention

Treatment:

Other: Physical therapy