Dry Needling in Multiple Sclerosis

NCT07615725 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: STUDY009741
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis

Keywords

Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain PROMIS

  Baseline, after completion of dry needling sessions, and 2-month follow-up; changes will be compared with baseline.

Study Arms (2)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Procedure: Dry Needling

Control

SHAM COMPARATOR

Procedure: Sham Dry Needling

Interventions

Dry Needling PROCEDURE

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.

Intervention

Sham Dry Needling PROCEDURE

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.

Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of South Florida: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of South Florida

Tampa, Florida, 33612, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis; Pain

Interventions

Dry Needling

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Demyelinating Autoimmune Diseases, CNS; Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System; Nervous System Diseases; Demyelinating Diseases; Autoimmune Diseases; Immune System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities

Central Study Contacts

Amir Tabatabaei, PhD

CONTACT

8139747193; tabatabaei@usf.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 22, 2026
• First Posted: May 29, 2026
• Study Start: May 8, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Locations

US (1)