COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF DRY NEEDLING AND NEURAL MOBILIZATION ON PAIN, STRENGTH AND RANGE OF MOTION IN PATIENTS WITH GOLFER'S ELBOW (DN-NM-GE)

June 8, 2026 updated by: Abeela Ashraf, Green International University
This randomized clinical trial aims to compare the effectiveness of Dry Needling and Neural Mobilization in patients diagnosed with Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis). The study will evaluate the effects of both interventions on pain intensity, grip strength, and range of motion. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the Dry Needling group or the Neural Mobilization group and treated over a specified intervention period. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline and after treatment to determine which intervention provides greater improvement in pain reduction, muscle strength, and functional mobility. The results may contribute to evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for managing Golfer's Elbow

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis) is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by pain and tenderness over the medial epicondyle of the elbow, often associated with repetitive wrist flexion and forearm pronation activities. The condition can lead to decreased grip strength, restricted range of motion, and impaired functional performance, affecting daily activities and quality of life.

Various physiotherapy interventions have been used for the management of Golfer's Elbow, including Dry Needling and Neural Mobilization. Dry Needling is a technique that targets myofascial trigger points to reduce pain, improve blood flow, and restore muscle function. Neural Mobilization aims to restore the normal mobility and physiological function of peripheral nerves by reducing neural tension and improving neural mechanics.

The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness of Dry Needling and Neural Mobilization in reducing pain, improving grip strength, and increasing range of motion in patients with Golfer's Elbow. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. Baseline assessments will be conducted before treatment, followed by post-intervention assessments after completion of the treatment protocol.

Primary outcome measures will include pain intensity, assessed using a validated pain scale, while secondary outcomes will include grip strength and elbow/wrist range of motion. Data collected will be analyzed to determine whether one intervention demonstrates superior clinical outcomes compared to the other.

The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence regarding the comparative effectiveness of these commonly used physiotherapy interventions and may assist clinicians in selecting appropriate treatment strategies for patients with Golfer's Elbow.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

29

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
        • Green International University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • • Both male and female patients were included.

    • Diagnosis of Medial Epicondylitis by spiral test clinically confirmed by orthopaedic.

pain is limited on medial epicondyle

  • Pain reproduced with resisted wrist flexion and/or forearm pronation.
  • Aged between 18-40 years
  • Acute to Subacute stage (≥ 6 weeks and ≤ 12 months
  • NPRS score ≥ 4/10 at baseline

Exclusion Criteria:

  • • History of Other elbow pathologies e.g (Lateral epicondylitis , Olecranon bursitis ,Ligament injuries)

    • Radial or ulnar neuropathies not associated with medial epicondylitis.
    • Systemic or inflammatory conditions affecting tendons, such as rheumatoid arthritis
    • Diabetes with neuropathy (unless controlled and neuropathy absent)
    • Previous surgical procedures around the elbow or wrist within the past 6 months
    • Corticosteroid injection, PRP or shockwave therapy within the last 3 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Dry needling
Participants will receive dry needling combined with conventional physiotherapy twice weekly for 6 weeks
Procedure: Dry needling
Participants will receive dry needling to the affected forearm muscles along with conventional physiotherapy. Treatment will be administered twice weekly for 6 weeks, totaling 12 sessions. Outcomes will include pain, grip strength, and range of motion
Procedure: Neural mobilization
Participants will receive neural mobilization techniques along with conventional physiotherapy. Treatment will be administered twice weekly for 6 weeks, totaling 12 sessions. Outcomes will include pain, grip strength, and range of motion.
Experimental: Neural mobilization
Participants will receive neural mobilization combined with conventional physiotherapy twice weekly for 6 weeks
Procedure: Dry needling
Participants will receive dry needling to the affected forearm muscles along with conventional physiotherapy. Treatment will be administered twice weekly for 6 weeks, totaling 12 sessions. Outcomes will include pain, grip strength, and range of motion
Procedure: Neural mobilization
Participants will receive neural mobilization techniques along with conventional physiotherapy. Treatment will be administered twice weekly for 6 weeks, totaling 12 sessions. Outcomes will include pain, grip strength, and range of motion.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain intensity
Time Frame: Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). The scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores represent greater pain intensity.
Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Grip strength
Time Frame: Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention
Grip strength will be measured using a hand dynamometer. Higher values indicate greater muscle strength.
Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention
Range of motion
Time Frame: Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention
Elbow and wrist range of motion will be measured using a standard goniometer. Higher values indicate improved joint mobility.
Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Green International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Prof Dr Fahad Tanveer, Green international University lahore

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 5, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

May 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 11, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • GIU/REC/26-41

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Due to patients privacy and confidentiality , IPD will not be shared

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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