Dry Needling on Myofascial Trigger Points in Older Adults With Nonspecific Shoulder Pain

University of Alcala

Status: Completed

Conditions: Shoulder Pain

Treatments: Other: Deep Dry Needling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02032602

v5EGIU

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background: Non-specific shoulder pain has a high prevalence in older adults and provokes functional alterations. Besides, there are difficulties for its clinical diagnosis, lack of effectiveness in the treatment and not much evidence is found regarding invasive physical therapy techniques in this population.

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of a single physical therapy intervention with deep dry needling on latent and active myofascial trigger points in older adults with non-specific shoulder pain.

Methods: Pilot Study, Single Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial on 60 subjects aged 65 and over, will be diagnosed with nonspecific shoulder pain. The study will be approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the area. Sample will be recruited at their home and at a care center, and randomly will be distributed in Experimental Group (n=30), which will be received a session of Deep Dry Needling on an active and a latent Myofascial Trigger Points of the infraspinatus muscle; and Control Group (n=30), receiving a session of Deep Dry Needling only on an active Myofascial Trigger Point. A blind examiner will be evaluated Pain Intensity, Pain Pressure Threshold (anterior deltoid; extensor carpi radialis brevis) and Grip Strength, before, immediately after intervention and after a week of treatment.

Enrollment: 66 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• people aged 65 or over with uni or bilateral non-specific shoulder pain and with at least one active and one latent MTrP in the infraspinatus homolateral to the painful shoulder

Exclusion criteria

• prior diagnosis of myopathy or neuropathy; cognitive deficit in the medical record; cervical spine, rotator cuff tendons or glenohumeral joint problems in the medical record; corticoid infiltration or local anaesthetic during the previous year or during follow-up; surgical procedure affecting the upper limb or preceding cervical; ingestion of antiaggregant, anti-coagulant, analgesic or anti-inflammatory medication or abusive substances in the week prior to treatment and during follow-up were excluded from the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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66 participants in 2 patient groups

1, CG: Active MTrP

Active Comparator group

Description:

a single session of physical therapy intervention which will be consisted on Deep Dry Needling of the active MTrP most hyperalgesic to palpation of the infraspinatus muscle homolateral to painful shoulder

Treatment:

Other: Deep Dry Needling

2, EG: Active+Latent MTrPs

Experimental group

Description:

The same treatment described above for the Control Group, combined with the Deep Dry Needling of the most hyperalgesic latent MTrP, both located in the infraspinatus muscle homolateral to the painful shoulder.

Treatment:

Other: Deep Dry Needling