Patient Expectations and Dry Needling

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Status: Completed

Conditions: Neck Pain

Treatments: Device: Dry Needling; Device: Sham Needling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04417491

URJC5006

Details and patient eligibility

About

Dry needling (DN) is a treatment technique used for treating musculoskeletal pain conditions. DN has shown to be effective on pain and function in patients with mechanical neck pain. Potential effects of DN can be related to several mechanisms, including physical, cognitive and emotional factors. This study will evaluate the role of the patient expectances related to the evolution (progress) of the condition, in this case, mechanical neck pain, in the effects of real or sham dry needling in sensitivity outcomes such as pain intensity or pressure pain sensitivity. Expectation of each patient in both groups will be considered positive, neutral or negative based on the outcomes of the Patient Shoulder Expectancies (PSOE) questionnaire which was adapted to the cervical spine.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Non-specific mechanical neck pain of at least 3 months of duration
• At least one active trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle which referred pain reproduces the neck pain symptoms

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;
• fear to needles

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Dry Needling

Experimental group

Description:

The intervention group will receive real dry needling (fast in and fast out needling technique) in an active MTrP within upper trapezius muscle.

Treatment:

Device: Dry Needling

Sham Needling

Sham Comparator group

Description:

The placebo group will receive sham needling in an active MTrP within the upper trapezius muscle. A sham needle will be used as placebo. This needle has a blunt tip and retractable handle that created the illusion of a needle penetrating the skin.

Treatment:

Device: Sham Needling