Muscle Position and Dry Needling Efficacy

Sponsor
University of Alcala
Study ID
NCT07629141
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Headache
  • Neck Pain

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 80 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Dry needling technique with the shoulder in full adduction. — OTHER
    Ten incisions will be made in a posteroanterior direction while the patient lies prone and the muscle is grasped with a pincer grip between the first three fingers. The technique will be applied to the area that is mechanically most hyperalgesic and related to the reproduction of the patient's pain.
  • Dry needling technique with the shoulder in 90° abduction. — OTHER
    Ten incisions will be made in a posteroanterior direction while the patient lies prone and the muscle is grasped with a pincer grip between the first three fingers. The technique will be applied to the area that is mechanically most hyperalgesic and related to the reproduction of the patient's pain.

Study Details

Currently, no previous studies have investigated how the position of a muscle before dry needling may influence the outcome and effectiveness of the treatment. This study aims to demonstrate whether the position of the upper trapezius muscle during dry needling treatment influences the outcome of that treatment in subjects with neck pain. A total of 46 participants with chronic neck pain will be recruited and randomly assigned to two groups: a dry needling group with the muscle in a stretched position and a dry needling group with the muscle in a shortened position. A total of two treatment sessions will be performed, separated by a 7-day interval. The primary outcome measure will be the intensity of neck and head pain, measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Other variables to be measured include the cervical disability index, kinesiophobia, and catastrophizing (using a self-completion questionnaire), as well as participants' expectations and post-needling pain.

Key Dates

First listed
Jun 5, 2026
Start date
Jun 8, 2026
Status verified
Jun 2026
Primary completion
Sep 15, 2026
Completion
Dec 15, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
80 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Upper trapezius dry needling with adduction shoulder
    The dry needling technique will be applied to the trapezius muscle while the subject lies prone, with the upper limb at the side of the body, shoulder lowered, in adduction and cervical region in a neutral position. The dry needling technique will be applied using a pincer grasp, inserting the needle from the posterior to the anterior portion of the upper trapezius muscle.
  • Experimental: Upper trapezius dry needling with 90º abduction shoulder
    The dry needling technique will be applied to the trapezius muscle while the subject lies prone, with the upper limb separated from the body, shoulder at 90 degrees of abduction and cervical region in a neutral position. The dry needling technique will be applied using a pincer grasp, inserting the needle from the posterior to the anterior portion of the upper trapezius muscle.

Primary Outcome Measure

The visual analog scale (VAS) [ Time Frame: Change from baseline at 3 months ]

Central Contacts

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