Effect of Dry Needling Multifidus on Thickness of Transversus Abdominis in Healthy Individuals

Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Back Pain

Treatments: Procedure: Sham needling; Procedure: Dry needling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01734577

UNLVPT-4059

Details and patient eligibility

About

Intramuscular therapy (also known as dry needling) has been shown to give dramatic relief of musculoskeletal pain. The mechanisms of action remain unknown, and this study will examine for a neurophysiological effect.

Full description

Consenting adults will be taught how to contract their abdominal muscles, and to contract transversus abdominis in particular. They will then have real time ultrasound measurements of the resting and contracted thickness of their left transversus abdominis muscle. After this, they will receive actual or sham needling to their left multifidus muscle by another researchers blinded to the real time ultrasound measurements. After needling or sham intervention is complete, the original researchers will return to re-measure transversus abdominis. They will be blind to intervention allocation.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age, absence of back pain or symptoms for greater than 6 months and ability to perform DCC. Subjects must also report they are comfortable with being 'needled'.

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of back pain or symptoms within the last 6 months, history of: abdominal or spinal surgery, significant scoliosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, osteopenia, active ankylosing spondylitis. If a subject reports a fear of needles.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Dry needling

Active Comparator group

Description:

Monofilament needles will be inserted into each subject's left multifidus muscle and stimulated mechanically for a local twitch response

Treatment:

Procedure: Dry needling

Sham needling

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Monofilament tubes will be pressed into the left multifidus muscle and mechanically manipulated to give the sensation that needling is occuring.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sham needling