Effects of Dry Needling in Teres Major Muscle in Elite Handball Athletes. A Randomised Controlled Trial

J Clin Med. 2021 Sep 20;10(18):4260. doi: 10.3390/jcm10184260. ABSTRACT Objective: To determine the effects of dry needling (DN) in active myofascial trigger points in the teres major muscle compared to an untreated control group in pain during throwing actions, shoulder range of motion (ROM), strength, and extensibility of the tissues in professional handball (HB) athletes. […]

Are Findings From a Pragmatic Dry Needling Trial Always Applicable in the Real World?

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Sep;51(9):470-471. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2021.0202. ABSTRACT Letter to the Editor-in-Chief in response to JOSPT article “Dry needling adds no benefit to the treatment of neck pain: a sham-controlled randomized clinical trial with 1-year follow-up” by Gattie et al.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(9):470-471. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.0202. PMID:34465144 | DOI:10.2519/jospt.2021.0202

A novel blinding protocol to test participant and therapist blinding during dry needling: a randomised controlled experiment

Physiotherapy. 2021 Aug 25:S0031-9406(21)00082-1. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2021.08.007. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: Dry needling is widely used in physiotherapy. Lack of blinding in clinical trials means that dry needling effects and mechanisms remain unclear, with blinding issues accepted as an unavoidable barrier to better evidence. The authors aimed to overcome this barrier by designing a […]

Is Dry Needling of the Supinator a Safe Procedure? A Potential Treatment for Lateral Epicondylalgia or Radial Tunnel Syndrome. A Cadaveric Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 31;18(17):9162. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18179162. ABSTRACT The supinator muscle is involved in two pain conditions of the forearm and wrist: lateral epicondylalgia and radial tunnel syndrome. Its close anatomical relationship with the radial nerve at the arcade of Frohse encourages research on dry needling approaches. Our aim was to […]

Intramuscular Injections and Dry Needling within Masticatory Muscles in Management of Myofascial Pain. Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 10;18(18):9552. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18189552. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Myofascial pain is an important cause of disability among the whole population, and it is a common symptom of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs). Its management techniques vary widely; however, in recent years, there has been a growing interest especially in needling therapies […]

Effects of Dry Needling of Latent Trigger Points on Viscoelastic and Muscular Contractile Properties: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Within-Participant Clinical Trial

J Clin Med. 2021 Aug 27;10(17):3848. doi: 10.3390/jcm10173848. ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate changes in neuromuscular function and pain perception in latent trigger points (TrPs) in the gastrocnemius muscle after a single session of dry needling. A randomized within-participant clinical trial was conducted. Fifty volunteers with latent TrPs in the gastrocnemius muscles were explored. […]

The efficacy of intramuscular electrical stimulation in the management of patients with myofascial pain syndrome: a systematic review

Chiropr Man Therap. 2021 Sep 27;29(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12998-021-00396-z. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is one of the most common disorders causing chronic muscle pain. Almost one-third of patients with musculoskeletal complaints meet the MPS criteria. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of intramuscular electrical stimulation (IMES) in patients with MPS […]

Effects of dry needling on mechanical and contractile properties of the upper trapezius with latent myofascial trigger points: A randomized controlled trial

Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2021 Sep 3;56:102456. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102456. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Latent trigger point (LTrP) can cause motor dysfunction and disturb normal patterns of motor recruitment. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of DN in the upper trapezius (UT) LTrP on pain and the mechanical and contractile properties of the muscle. DESIGN: A […]

Autologous blood and platelet-rich plasma injection therapy for lateral elbow pain

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Sep 30;9:CD010951. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010951.pub2. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Autologous whole blood or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are commonly used to treat lateral elbow pain (also known as tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis or epicondylalgia). Based on animal models and observational studies, these injections may modulate tendon injury healing, but randomised controlled trials […]

Effects of dry needling on pain, disability, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing and psychological distress in patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled pilot study

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2021 Jul 23. doi: 10.3233/BMR-200322. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in neck muscles seem to be related to the main symptoms of patients with chronic neck pain. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate the effects of dry needling (DN) on pain, disability, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing and […]

Efficacy of Dry Needling and Acupuncture in the Treatment of Neck Pain

Anesth Pain Med. 2021 Apr 3;11(2):e113627. doi: 10.5812/aapm.113627. eCollection 2021 Apr. ABSTRACT CONTEXT: Neck pain is a common phenomenon and affects a large segment of the population. Chronic neck pain, lasting more than 3 months, likely occurs in 10% – 30% of patients with acute neck pain and affects up to 288 million cases globally, […]

Effects of Dry Needling on Biomechanical Properties of the Myofascial Trigger Points Measured by Myotonometry: A Randomized Controlled Trial

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2021 Aug 7:S0161-4754(21)00076-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2021.06.002. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of dry needling (DN) on the biomechanical properties of a latent medial myofascial trigger point (MTrP) of the soleus muscle compared with an adjacent point within the taut band […]

Effectiveness of dry needling techniques in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2021 Jul;27:328-338. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.02.015. Epub 2021 Mar 4. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Dry needling has been found to be effective in various myofascial pain syndromes and musculoskeletal conditions. However, there is a need to evaluate the effects of dry needling techniques in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Hence, the objective of this systematic review […]

Physical therapy treatment of a pediatric patient with symptoms consistent with a spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality: A retrospective case report

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2021 Jul;27:455-463. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.01.008. Epub 2021 Feb 11. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: A spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) is a relatively uncommon event that occurs in children following cervical trauma primarily due to sports-related injuries or physical abuse. CASE DESCRIPTION: This case report describes an 11-year-old wrestler that developed signs and […]

Dry needling trigger points around knee and hip joints improves function in patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2021 Jul;27:597-604. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.04.011. Epub 2021 Apr 30. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Dry needling may be an effective method to alleviate pain and improve range of motion. Controversial results have been found in previous studies using dry needling in knee problems. So, the aim of current study is to exert dry needling technique […]

Immediate decrease of muscle biomechanical stiffness following dry needling in asymptomatic participants

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2021 Jul;27:605-611. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.04.014. Epub 2021 Apr 22. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Biomechanical muscle stiffness has been linked to musculoskeletal disorders. Assessing changes in muscle stiffness following DN may help elucidate a physiologic mechanism of DN. This study characterizes the effects of dry needling (DN) to the infraspinatus, erector spinae, and gastrocnemius muscles […]

Somatosensory Pulsatile Tinnitus Syndrome (SSPT) Revisited

Int Tinnitus J. 2021 Mar 1;25(1):39-45. doi: 10.5935/0946-5448.2021009. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Our initial study reported consecutive patients with constant cardiac synchronous subjective tinnitus (pulsatile tinnitus without an identifiable acoustic source (P)) all of whom could suppress their pulsations with head and neck intense muscle contractions (“somatic testing” (ST)). The term somatosensory pulsatile tinnitus syndrome (SSPT) was […]

Surgical and Non-surgical Treatment Options for Piriformis Syndrome: A Literature Review

Anesth Pain Med. 2021 Feb 2;11(1):e112825. doi: 10.5812/aapm.112825. eCollection 2021 Feb. ABSTRACT CONTEXT: Piriformis syndrome is a solely clinical diagnosis that often eludes the practitioner and goes underdiagnosed. PS is a pain syndrome and for those it affects, causes persistent pain and limits daily activity and work capacity. It is a form of deep gluteal […]

Common Dermatologic Procedures and the Associated Complications Unique to Skin of Color

Dermatol Surg. 2021 Mar 1;47(3):355-359. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000002813. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The skin of color (SOC) population in the United States continues to grow, and these patients are undergoing various cosmetic and surgical procedures at increasing rates. There is a paucity of data on the potential complications associated with surgical and cosmetic procedures in this patient population. […]

Dry needling has lasting analgesic effect in shoulder pain: a double-blind, sham-controlled trial

Pain Rep. 2021 Jun 28;6(2):e939. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000939. eCollection 2021 Jul-Aug. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) affects most patients with chronic shoulder pain. Dry needling (DN) is a common treatment for MPS, but its temporal pattern and sensory effects remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated in a randomized, sham-controlled study the pattern of analgesic efficacy and […]