Central Pain Modulatory Effects of Dry-Needling in Patients With Non-Specific Neck Pain

NCT04725825 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: BC-05419
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 54
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

An experimental study will be conducted to evaluate the effect of a single dry needling session, compared to a sham needling session, on pain intensity, local and peripheral hyperalgesia, and conditioned pain modulation in patients with chronic idiopathic neck pain.

Conditions

Neck Pain, Posterior; Trapezius Muscle Strain

Keywords

Dry Needling; Sham Needling; Myofascial Pain Syndrome; Central Pain Modulatory Effects

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in distant Pressure Pain Threshold

  A distant standardised PPT will be assessed using a digital handheld pressure algometer (FDX; Wagner Instruments) at the quadriceps muscle of the dominant painful side to measure distant hyperalgesia. To measure the PPT, the researcher will apply the digital algometer to each of the indicated points with a round rubber end of 1 cm² and an increasing pressure of circa 1 N/s. As soon as the sensation of the subject shifts from a comfortable pressure to an altered, unpleasant feeling, the participant reports this and the test will be finished. Each point will be measured twice with a 30-second interval in between and all measurements will be performed by one researcher in the same standardised position for each point and will be executed in a randomised order per patient.

  Baseline and immediately after the intervention

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)

  Baseline and immediately after the intervention

• Change in Conditioned Pain Modulation

  baseline and immediately after the intervention

• Change in local Pressure Pain Threshold

  Baseline and immediately after the intervention

Study Arms (2)

Dry needling

EXPERIMENTAL

A single dry needling session will be performed on the dominant painful trapezius muscle, with the patient lying in prone position. After palpation of a taut band, and detection of a MTrP in the upper trapezius muscle, a trained physiotherapist will penetrate the needle into skin surface, fascia, into the muscle tissue at the MTrP location, and will move the needle up and down (fast-in, fast-out technique) in three different directions. In case local twitch responses are elicited, this will be repeated until the local twitch responses are extinct.

Other: Dry needling

Sham needling

SHAM COMPARATOR

A single sham needling session will be performed with the subject lying on the non painful side. After palpation of a taut band, and detection of a MTrP in the upper trapezius muscle, a trained physiotherapist will penetrate the needle into the skin surface at the MTrP location. The fascia and muscle tissue will not be penetrated.

Other: Sham needling

Interventions

Dry needling OTHER

Dry needling (DN) is a myofascial treatment technique, in which a thin, solid filiform needle is inserted directly into the MTrP. During dry needling, local twitch responses (LTR) can be elicited. These are involuntary contractions of muscle fibers, leading to muscle relaxation, an increase in blood flow,recovery of the muscle metabolism and thus a reduction of pain and stiffness.

Dry needling

Sham needling OTHER

During sham needling, a solid, filiform needle is inserted in the skin surface at the trigger point location, without penetrating the fascia and muscle tissue.

Sham needling

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Chronic neck pain (symptom duration \>3 months)
• Mean NRS score \>3/10
• The presentation of a clinically relevant myofascial triggerpoint in the upper trapezius muscle.

You may not qualify if:

• Specific neck pain (eg.structural pathology like a cervical discus hernia, cervical nerve root compression, factures...)
• Major depression or psychiatric illness
• Cardiovascular, neurological, life threatening, systemic and metabolic diseases
• Other transferable diseases (HIV, hepatitis...)
• Coagulation disorders or use of coagulation medication
• Pregnancy or given birth the last year
• Traumatic injuries/surgery to neck and upper limb region
• Diagnosis of fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome
• BMI \> 30 kg/m2.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Ghent: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ghent University

Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen, 9000, Belgium

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neck Pain; Myofascial Pain Syndromes

Interventions

Dry Needling

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities

Study Officials

• Mira Meeus

  University Ghent

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 24, 2020
• First Posted: January 27, 2021
• Study Start: February 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: July 15, 2021
• Study Completion: July 15, 2021
• Last Updated: February 9, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BE (1)