The Effects of Dry Needling on Patients With Knee Pain
Ohio State University
Summary
This study is testing the effectiveness of "dry needling" for pain management and on muscle strength and leg function for those with knee pain. Dry needling consists of small, monofilament needles that are administered directly into the tissue and manipulated to make the muscle relax for pain relief. This technique is used to treat dysfunctions in skeletal muscle and connective tissue to help diminish pain, reduce impairments of body structure and restore function.
Description
This project will evaluate the effects of dry needling on pain, muscle performance, and function in those with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) of the knee. Variables of interest will include self-reported pain scores, self-reported functional outcome and disability questionnaire scores, and various objective clinical measures including muscle strength, joint range of motion, and movement patterns during basic tasks related to activities of daily living. Patients who are referred to physical therapy with PFPS will be recruited. Patients will be randomly and equally allocated into one of the…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * 18-40 years-of-age * Referred for physical therapy * Presence of anterior knee pain around the patella during ascending/descending stairs, squatting, and/or running for at least 3 months. Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to provide consent * Bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome * Received previous dry needling treatments * Pregnancy * History of pain less than 3 months * Imaging demonstrating the presence of confounding internal abnormality (e.g. chondral defects, ligamentous injury, and/or meniscal pathology), * Patellar instability * Presence of a neurological conditio…
Interventions
- DeviceDry Needling
Dry needling consists of small, monofilament needles that are administered directly into the tissue and manipulated to make the muscle relax for pain relief. This technique is used to treat dysfunctions in skeletal muscle and connective tissue to help diminish pain, reduce impairments of body structure and restore function. Dry needling will be performed in the gluteal or the quadriceps muscle groups depending upon group randomization.
- DeviceSham Dry Needling
The same overall procedures will be used as in the "true" dry needling groups and applied to the same muscle groups (gluteal or quadriceps) depending upon ground randomization. Sham dry needling will be performed using a commercially available sham needling system commonly.This set-up utilizes a blunt tipped needle. When the sham needle is pressed downward, the barrel of the needle retracts into the handle, giving the appearance of insertion of the needle through the skin. This also creates pressure on the subject's skin, increasing the sensation of dry needling. Patients will not be allowed to observe the areas being needled or sham needled.
- OtherPhysical Therapy
Physical Therapy and exercise as determined by the examining clinician based on the patients specific impairments and functional limitations. All subjects enrolled in this study will receive an initial physical therapy (PT) evaluation and then 2 additional PT sessions a week a part. Interventions and prescribed home exercises will be specific to the patients' primary individual impairments as determined during the initial PT evaluation. These interventions reflect current evidence, but will not be restrictive to specific exercises; prescribed exercises will be deemed appropriate based on the treating PTs' examination, evaluation, and identification of each patients' primary deficits, impairments, functional limitations, and current literature.
Location
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical CenterColumbus, Ohio