Dry Needling in Multiple Sclerosis

Non-pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis

This study is placed at the Human Functional Performance Laboratory in the School of physical therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (MDT building) at University of South Florida. The study is supported by Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. We are doing this study to see if a treatment called dry needling improves chronic pain in the lower limb (from the low back to the foot) in people who have Multiple Sclerosis. Dry needling involves using tiny needles, like those used in acupuncture, to target certain muscles, such as the thigh or calf muscles. It is different from traditional acupuncture because it focuses on treating specific muscle spots to reduce muscle stiffness and pain. Dry needling may help reduce your pain without any medication. We also hope to see whether dry needling helps improve balance and walking abilities, which may lead to better day-to-day functioning. In this study, there are two groups. In each group, participants will receive six sessions of dry needling. One group will receive actual dry needling, while the other group will receive a procedure that mimics dry needling. The treatment you get will be chosen by chance, like flipping a coin. Neither you nor the study doctor will choose what treatment you get. You will have an equal chance of being given either treatment or sham treatment. You will not be told which treatment you are getting; however your study doctor will know. You are being asked to take part because you have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and are experiencing long-lasting pain in your lower limbs, including the buttocks, thighs, calf, and foot. We want to find out if this treatment will help people with Multiple Sclerosis who have lower limb pain.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Multiple Sclerosis
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Dry Needling; Procedure: Sham Dry Needling

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Amir Tabatabaei, PhD; Phone Number: 8139747193; Email: tabatabaei@usf.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Florida
    • Tampa, Florida, United States, 33612
      • Recruiting
      • University of South Florida
      • Contact: Amir Tabatabaei, PhD; Phone Number: 913-212-6375; Email: tabatabaei@usf.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis based on McDonald's Criteria; Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) score of 1-5 (ambulatory participants), the ability to communicate written and spoken English, , age 18-80 and experiencing pain in the lower extremity for more than three consecutive months (3-months) with intensity of 3 or more out of 10 based on numeric pain scale (clinically meaningful pain).

Exclusion Criteria: any neurological comorbidity (such as stroke and PD), presence of MS relapse in the last 30 days, current participation in or planned initiation of any pain management intervention (interventional or rehabilitative) targeting the lower extremity, or anticipated changes in pain medication during the study period. Additional exclusion criteria include pregnancy (by urine pregnancy test), any active cancer or chemotherapy within one year, the score of lower than 17 on the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), a known or suspected infection in the lower extremity, deep vein thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, active osteomyelitis in the lower extremity, varicose veins and uncontrolled seizures/ epilepsy.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention	Procedure: Dry Needling; Participants will receive dry needling treatment targeting lower-extremity muscles associated with chronic pain in people with multiple sclerosis. The intervention will be delivered over six treatment sessions by a licensed physical therapist trained in dry needling techniques.
Sham Comparator: Control	Procedure: Sham Dry Needling; Participants assigned to the sham dry needling group will receive a control procedure designed to mimic the experience of dry needling without therapeutic needle insertion into the target muscle tissue. The procedure will be delivered over six sessions by a licensed physical therapist trained in dry needling and sham procedures.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Pain PROMIS	Baseline, after completion of dry needling sessions, and 2-month follow-up; changes will be compared with baseline.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of South Florida

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 8, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 22, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 22, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 22, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pain
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Demyelinating Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Multiple Sclerosis; Therapeutics; Complementary Therapies; Physical Therapy Modalities; Dry Needling
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY009741

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No