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Muscle Position and Dry Needling Efficacy

29 juni 2026 uppdaterad av: Prof. Dr. Daniel Pecos Martín, University of Alcala

The Importance of Muscle Position in the Effectiveness of Dry Needling Technique

Currently, no previous studies have investigated how the position of a muscle before dry needling may influence the outcome and effectiveness of the treatment.

This study aims to demonstrate whether the position of the upper trapezius muscle during dry needling treatment influences the outcome of that treatment in subjects with neck pain.

A total of 46 participants with chronic neck pain will be recruited and randomly assigned to two groups: a dry needling group with the muscle in a stretched position and a dry needling group with the muscle in a shortened position. A total of two treatment sessions will be performed, separated by a 7-day interval. The primary outcome measure will be the intensity of neck and head pain, measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Other variables to be measured include the cervical disability index, kinesiophobia, and catastrophizing (using a self-completion questionnaire), as well as participants' expectations and post-needling pain.

Studieöversikt

Studietyp

Interventionell

Inskrivning (Beräknad)

80

Fas

  • Inte tillämpbar

Kontakter och platser

Det här avsnittet innehåller kontaktuppgifter för dem som genomför studien och information om var denna studie genomförs.

Studiekontakt

Studieorter

    • Madrid
      • Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spanien, 28805
      • Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spanien, 2805
        • Rekrytering
        • Clinical University Physiotherapy and pain
        • Kontakt:

Deltagandekriterier

Forskare letar efter personer som passar en viss beskrivning, så kallade behörighetskriterier. Några exempel på dessa kriterier är en persons allmänna hälsotillstånd eller tidigare behandlingar.

Urvalskriterier

Åldrar som är berättigade till studier

  • Vuxen
  • Äldre vuxen

Tar emot friska volontärer

Nej

Beskrivning

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Neck pain lasting more than 3 months
  • Current neck pain greater than 3/10 on the VAS (Visual Analog Scale)
  • Presence of active trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle, meeting the following criteria: Painful point within a taut band whose palpation reproduces the patient's symptoms.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Neck pain with a medical diagnosis (fractures, arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.)
  • Radicular pain (paresthesia, burning, electric shocks)
  • Whiplash or any recent trauma
  • Previous surgery
  • Treatment by another physiotherapist within the last 3 months
  • Infections
  • Needle phobia
  • Use of anticoagulant medications
  • Pregnancy
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Metal allergies
  • Cognitive deficits or communication problems

Studieplan

Det här avsnittet ger detaljer om studieplanen, inklusive hur studien är utformad och vad studien mäter.

Hur är studien utformad?

Designdetaljer

  • Primärt syfte: Behandling
  • Tilldelning: Randomiserad
  • Interventionsmodell: Parallellt uppdrag
  • Maskning: Dubbel

Vapen och interventioner

Deltagargrupp / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Experimentell: Upper trapezius dry needling with adduction shoulder

The dry needling technique will be applied to the trapezius muscle while the subject lies prone, with the upper limb at the side of the body, shoulder lowered, in adduction and cervical region in a neutral position.

The dry needling technique will be applied using a pincer grasp, inserting the needle from the posterior to the anterior portion of the upper trapezius muscle.

Ten incisions will be made in a posteroanterior direction while the patient lies prone and the muscle is grasped with a pincer grip between the first three fingers. The technique will be applied to the area that is mechanically most hyperalgesic and related to the reproduction of the patient's pain.
Experimentell: Upper trapezius dry needling with 90º abduction shoulder

The dry needling technique will be applied to the trapezius muscle while the subject lies prone, with the upper limb separated from the body, shoulder at 90 degrees of abduction and cervical region in a neutral position.

The dry needling technique will be applied using a pincer grasp, inserting the needle from the posterior to the anterior portion of the upper trapezius muscle.

Ten incisions will be made in a posteroanterior direction while the patient lies prone and the muscle is grasped with a pincer grip between the first three fingers. The technique will be applied to the area that is mechanically most hyperalgesic and related to the reproduction of the patient's pain.

Vad mäter studien?

Primära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
The visual analog scale (VAS)
Tidsram: Change from baseline at 3 months
Intensity of neck and head pain: This was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). It consists of a 10 cm horizontal line, where 0 cm on the left side represents "no pain" and 10 cm on the right side represents "maximum pain." The subject marks a perpendicular line at the point they consider to represent their pain intensity. The examiner then places a millimeter ruler on the scale, assigning a numerical value to the line drawn by the patient. The VAS has proven to be a valid and reliable tool (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] 0.71-0.99).
Change from baseline at 3 months

Sekundära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Disability Associated with Neck Pain
Tidsram: Change from baseline at 3 months
The degree of disability associated with neck pain will be measured using the Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaire in its Spanish version. The NDI is a 10-item questionnaire, and each item is scored on a scale of 0 to 5 points, with a range of 0 to 50 points. The higher the score, the greater the degree of disability. The NDI has proven to be a reliable tool (ICC 0.98).
Change from baseline at 3 months
Kinesiophobia with the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TSK-11)
Tidsram: Change from baseline at 3 months
The Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TSK-11) short version will be used to assess fear of movement. It is an 11-item scale rated on a four-point scale ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." Scores range from 11 to 44, with higher scores indicating greater fear of movement and/or (re)injury. This questionnaire has demonstrated similar properties to the original TSK scale, proving to be a valid and reliable instrument.
Change from baseline at 3 months
Catastrophizing with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)
Tidsram: Change from baseline at 3 months
Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). The PCS has 13 items scored from 0 to 4 and is composed of three subscales: rumination, magnification, and helplessness. The overall score ranges from 0 to 52. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of pain catastrophizing. A total score >30 represents a clinically significant level of pain catastrophizing. This questionnaire has been shown to be reliable (ICC 0.94).
Change from baseline at 3 months
Local twitch response (LTRs)
Tidsram: Change from baseline at 3 months
Local twitch response (LTRs). The LTRs produced by needle insertion during dry needling will be counted. LTRs are generally associated with better treatment outcomes. A higher number of LTRs indicates better results, and a lower number of LTRs indicates worse results.
Change from baseline at 3 months
Cervical joint Range
Tidsram: Change from baseline mobility at one week after intervention
Flexion, inclination, extension and rotational movement ranges will be measured with a cervical goniometer
Change from baseline mobility at one week after intervention

Samarbetspartners och utredare

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Studieavstämningsdatum

Dessa datum spårar framstegen för inlämningar av studieposter och sammanfattande resultat till ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter och rapporterade resultat granskas av National Library of Medicine (NLM) för att säkerställa att de uppfyller specifika kvalitetskontrollstandarder innan de publiceras på den offentliga webbplatsen.

Studera stora datum

Studiestart (Faktisk)

8 juni 2026

Primärt slutförande (Beräknad)

15 september 2026

Avslutad studie (Beräknad)

15 december 2026

Studieregistreringsdatum

Först inskickad

1 juni 2026

Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

1 juni 2026

Första postat (Faktisk)

5 juni 2026

Uppdateringar av studier

Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)

1 juli 2026

Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

29 juni 2026

Senast verifierad

1 juni 2026

Mer information

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