Clinical trial NCT03946995: Dry Needling Versus Graston Technique in Active Myofascial Trigger Points on Upper Trapezius
Official title: Comparison of Dry Needling and Graston Technique in Active Myofascial Trigger Points on Upper Trapezius
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Trigger Points
Keywords: Trigger Area
Myofascial Pain Syndromes
Instrument assisted soft tissue tecnique
Lead sponsor: Riphah International University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2019-05-13
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 20
Maximum age (years): 40
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: There will be two treatment groups of participants, One group will receive Dry Needling whereas other will receive Graston technique for treatment of Myofascial Trigger points.
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study will compare the effects dry needling and Graston technique in active myofascial trigger points on upper trapezius. Half of the study participants will receive dry needling whereas other half will receive Graston technique.

Detailed description: This is a single blinded randomized controlled trial, will be conducted at Rawal General \& Dental Hospital, Islamabad. Both dry needling and Graston Techniques are used to release active Myofascial Trigger points with different mechanism.

Dry needling is technique in which without any medication or injection, dry needles are inserted into hyper irritable points in muscle. Graston technique is done with specially designed tools to locate knots within muscle by running the tools over the skin.

This study is planned with objectives to compare both treatment techniques on active myofascial trigger points in patients with neck pain. Effects of these will be measured on Neck Pain, Range of Motion, functional status and trigger points.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patient with non-specific pain in neck (acute and sub-acute)
* Age: 20-40 years
* Patient agrees to use the dry needling or Graston exclusively

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients that were using any medication to reduce the pain and/or have any effect in the skeleton muscle.
* Patient taking other treatment in the same period of research.
* Patients having malignancy, tuberculosis, spinal cord injury, neurodegenerative diseases radiculopathies and hematoma.
* Patients on anticoagulants.
* Patient with chronic neck pain.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
timeFrame: Post 2nd week
measure: cervical range of motion (CROM)
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: cervical range of motion (CROM)
timeFrame: Post 2nd week
measure: Myofascial Diagnostic Scale (MDS)
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Myofascial Diagnostic Scale (MDS)
timeFrame: Post 2nd Week
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Neck Disability Index (NDI)
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Neck Disability Index (NDI)
timeFrame: Post 2nd week
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Islamabad
country: Pakistan
facility: Rawal General and Dental Hospital,
Study officials:
affiliation: Riphah International University
name: Huma Riaz
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Gerber LH, Shah J, Rosenberger W, Armstrong K, Turo D, Otto P, Heimur J, Thaker N, Sikdar S. Dry Needling Alters Trigger Points in the Upper Trapezius Muscle and Reduces Pain in Subjects With Chronic Myofascial Pain. PM R. 2015 Jul;7(7):711-718. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.01.020. Epub 2015 Feb 4.
citation: Dunning J, Butts R, Mourad F, Young I, Flannagan S, Perreault T. Dry needling: a literature review with implications for clinical practice guidelines. Phys Ther Rev. 2014 Aug;19(4):252-265. doi: 10.1179/108331913X13844245102034.
citation: Wang G, Gao Q, Hou J, Li J. Effects of Temperature on Chronic Trapezius Myofascial Pain Syndrome during Dry Needling Therapy. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:638268. doi: 10.1155/2014/638268. Epub 2014 Oct 14.
citation: Gattie ER, Cleland JA, Snodgrass SJ. Dry Needling for Patients With Neck Pain: Protocol of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2017 Nov 22;6(11):e227. doi: 10.2196/resprot.7980.