Dry Needling of Scalene Muscle Trigger Points in Mechanical Neck Pain

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Status: Completed

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Other: Manual Therapy; Other: Dry needling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03762252

URJC 2018-12-10

Details and patient eligibility

About

There is preliminary evidence suggesting that referred pain from active trigger points can play a relevant role in individuals with mechanical neck pain. Some studies have investigated the effectiveness of dry needling over the upper trapezius muscle in this population. However, other muscles, such as the scalene muscles, can be also relevant for neck pain symptoms. No study has investigated the effects of the application of dry needling over active trigger points in the scalenes muscles in a sample of patients with mechanical neck pain.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Generalized neck-shoulder pain with symptoms provoked by neck postures, neck movement, or palpation of the cervical musculature

Exclusion criteria

• whiplash injury;
• previous cervical or thoracic surgery;
• cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy;
• diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome;
• having undergone physical therapy in the previous 6 months;
• less than 18 or greater than 45 years of age
• fear to needles
• any respiratory disease, e.g., chronic brochitis

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Dry needling

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will receive dry needling over active trigger points in the scalene muscles

Treatment:

Other: Dry needling

Manual Therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will receive a manual compression for 30seconds over active trigger points in the scalene muscles

Treatment:

Other: Manual Therapy