Effects of Dry Needling on Vertical Jump Performance

ChatGPT ChatGPT Injury prevention and performance enhancement have become two of the main goals in every sport. Myofascial Pain Syndrome is primarily caused by myofascial trigger points, which may result in referred pain, stiffness, shortening, and/or muscle weakness.

The aim of this study is to assess the effects of dry needling on latent myofascial trigger points (LTMTP) and its impact on vertical jump height in female volleyball players.

The study is a single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial conducted on healthy female volleyball practitioners with no lower limb injuries in the last 6 months. Participants must exhibit LMTP in the triceps surae muscles and be familiar with the counter-movement jump (CMJ) test. Subjects will be randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group.

This study will be a single-blind, randomized clinical trial conducted in the Department of Invasive Physiotherapy at a private Physiotherapy Clinic in Toledo.

The inclusion criteria are as follows: healthy female volleyball practitioners with no lower limb injuries in the last 6 months, the presence of latent MTPs in the gastrocnemius, and familiarity with performing CMJ tests. Subjects will not be eligible for the study if they have needle phobia, active MTPs in the lower limb, any pathology preventing the use of dry needling, or any pathology preventing the performance of the CMJ test.

Subjects will be randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention group and the control group. Sealed cards containing numbers 1 to 24 in opaque envelopes will be provided, and participants will randomly select a card. Odd-numbered subjects will become part of the control group, while subjects with even numbers will be part of the intervention group.

All subjects must sign a copy of the consent form, which describes and explains the objectives and procedures of the study.

Both groups will undergo a standard warm-up session, including continuous running, dynamic lower limb stretching, and vertical jumps, lasting for 10 minutes (T0). Following the warm-up, the principal investigator will administer the dry needling technique to those assigned to the experimental group. The second measurement will be conducted immediately after the needling technique (T1). Participants in the control group will be instructed to wait on the intervention couch for a comparable duration to those receiving treatment.

The third and fourth assessments will take place in the same clinical setting approximately 72 hours (T3) and 7 days (T4) later, respectively. At each study point, participants will perform 3 CMJ tests. The CMJ-style jumps will be recorded using the high-speed camera of the iPhone 15 (Apple Inc., USA). The My Jump app, validated with a force platform, will calculate the flight time by identifying the subject's takeoff and landing, utilizing an equation from the literature. The best of the three jumps will be recorded. The assessor will be blinded to the allocation group of the participants

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* No lower limb injuries in the last 6 months
* Presence of latent MTPs in gastrocnemius
* Be familiar with performing CMJ tests

Exclusion Criteria:

* Needle phobia
* Presence of active MTPs in the lower limb
* Any pathology that prevented the use of dry needling
* Any pathology that prevented the performance of CMJ test.