COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF DRY NEEDLING AND NEURAL MOBILIZATION ON PAIN, STRENGTH AND RANGE OF MOTION IN PATIENTS WITH GOLFER'S ELBOW

NCT07643740 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: GIU/REC/26-41
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 29
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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

Conditions

Golfer's Elbow; Medial Epicondylitis

Keywords

Golfer's elbow; Medial Epicondylitis; Dry needling; Neural mobilisation; Pain; Grip strength; Range of motion; Physiotherapy; Rehabilitation Sciences

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Pain intensity

  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 Outcomes (2)

• Grip strength

  Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention

• Range of motion

  Baseline and at 6 weeks post-intervention

Study Arms (2)

Dry needling

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive dry needling combined with conventional physiotherapy twice weekly for 6 weeks

Procedure: Dry needling; Procedure: Neural mobilization

Neural mobilization

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive neural mobilization combined with conventional physiotherapy twice weekly for 6 weeks

Procedure: Dry needling; Procedure: Neural mobilization

Interventions

Dry needling PROCEDURE

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

Dry needling; Neural mobilization

Neural mobilization PROCEDURE

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.

Dry needling; Neural mobilization

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 40 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Green International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Green International University

Lahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Elbow Tendinopathy; Pain

Interventions

Dry Needling

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Tendinopathy; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Elbow Injuries; Arm Injuries; Wounds and Injuries; Tendon Injuries; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities

Study Officials

• Prof Dr Fahad Tanveer

  Green international University lahore

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: This study uses single-blind masking. The outcome assessor will be blinded to participants' group allocation to minimize assessment bias. Participants and treating therapists cannot be blinded due to the nature of the interventions.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Participants with Golfer's Elbow will be randomly allocated into two parallel groups. One group will receive Dry Needling, while the other group will receive Neural Mobilization. Outcomes including pain, grip strength, and range of motion will be assessed at baseline and after completion of the intervention period. The effectiveness of both interventions will be compared between groups.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 8, 2026
• First Posted: June 11, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: March 5, 2026
• Study Completion: May 10, 2026
• Last Updated: June 11, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)