Patient Expectations and Dry Needling

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Neck Pain
• Interventions: Device: Dry Needling; Device: Sham Needling

• Registration Number: NCT04417491
• Lead Sponsor: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Brief Summary

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.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2020-06-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-06-01
• Study First Posted: 2020-06-04
• Study Start: 2020-06-05
• Status Verified: 2020-11
• Primary Completion: 2020-11-02
• Study Completion: 2020-11-28
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-11-29
• Last Update Posted: 2020-12-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

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

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Dry Needling	Dry Needling	The intervention group will receive real dry needling (fast in and fast out needling technique) in an active MTrP within upper trapezius muscle.
Sham Needling	Sham Needling	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.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in Neck Pain Intensity between baseline and follow-up periods	Baseline, immediately after and 1 week after intervention	The intensity of neck pain at rest and during active movement of the cervical spine in rotation will be assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in Pressure pain sensitivity between baseline and follow-up periods	Baseline, immediately after and 1 week after intervention	Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) will be assessed at the upper trapezius muscle, spinous process of C7 and distant pain-free area of the lower extremity (heel)
Changes in patients self-perceived improvement between baseline and follow-up periods	Baseline and 1 week after intervention	Patients self-perceived improvement will be assessed using a Global Rating of Change (GROC) consisting of a 15-point scale ranging from -7 (a very great deal worse) to +7 (a very great deal better).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

César Fernández-de-las-Peñas; 🇪🇸 Alcorcón, Rest Of The World, Spain