effect of mirror therapy on post-needling pain following deep dry needling of myofascial trigger point in lateral elbow pain

Conditions: Lateral Elbow Pain

Summary: the goal of this randomized, controlled pilot trial is to investigate the immediate effects of incorporating mirror visual feedback therapy (mft) on pain sensitivity and motor performance in individuals experiencing post-needling pain associated with lateral elbow pain. the main questions it aims to answer are: * does incorporating mirror visual feedback therapy reduce post-needling pain intensity? * does incorporating mirror visual feedback therapy improve pressure pain threshold? * does incorporating mirror visual feedback therapy improve maximum grip strenght? participants will be asked to undergo pre- and post-treatment evaluations, which include assessments of post-needling pain intensity, pressure pain threshold, two-point discrimination threshold, and maximum hand grip strength. participants in the experimental group will receive deep dry needling in the m. brachioradialis, ischemic compression, cold spray, stretching, and mirror visual feedback therapy. those in the control group will not receive mirror visual feedback therapy. researchers will compare the experimental group to the control group to see if the incorporation of mirror visual feedback therapy results in a reduction in post-needling pain intensity and improvement in pressure pain threshold.

this randomized, controlled pilot trial aims to investigate the immediate effects of incorporating mirror visual feedback therapy (mft) on pain sensitivity and motor performance in individuals experiencing post-needling pain associated with lateral elbow pain. the study will enroll a total of 49 participants, with 23 females and 26 males, who will be randomly allocated to either the experimental group or the control group. the experimental group will receive deep dry needling in the m. brachioradialis, ischemic compression, cold spray, stretching, and mirror visual feedback therapy, while the control group will not receive mirror visual feedback therapy. this random allocation is intended to minimize bias and enhance the internal validity of the study. pre- and post-treatment evaluations will include assessments of post-needling pain intensity, pressure pain threshold, two-point discrimination threshold, and maximum hand grip strength. intergroup analysis will be conducted to determine if there is a statistically significant reduction in post-needling pain intensity favoring the experimental group. additionally, intragroup analysis will assess whether there are significant improvements in pressure pain threshold solely within the experimental group following the intervention. the findings of this study may suggest a potential benefit of integrating mft into treatment protocols for individuals with lateral elbow pain experiencing post-needling discomfort. however, further research will be necessary to fully elucidate the clinical implications of these findings and their applicability in healthcare settings.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * individuals males and females aged 18 years or older * individuals suffering from lateral elbow myofascial pain diagnosed by either a gp or physical therapist * for less than 3 months * lacking a history of severe trauma * individuals not having any prior exposure to dry needling treatment * individuals not currently using relevant medications exclusion criteria: * individuals under the age of 18 * individuals not diagnosed with lateral elbow myofascial pain by either a gp or physical therapist * individuals experiencing lateral elbow myofascial pain for more than 3 months * individuals with a history of severe trauma to the affected area * individuals who have previously undergone dry needling treatment for their lateral elbow myofascial pain * individuals currently using medications relevant to the treatment of lateral elbow myofascial pain

Keywords: mirror therapy; dry needling; post-needling pain; myofascial trigger point