Clinical trial NCT04476381: Immediate Effect of Dry Needling on Trigger Points
Official title: Immediate Effect of Dry Needling on the Viscoelastic Properties of a Trigger Point on the Infraspinatus Muscle Measured With the MyotonPro
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Shoulder Pain
Keywords: myofascial trigger points,
dry needling,
stiffness
Lead sponsor: Université de Sherbrooke
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-07-20
Enrollment: 48
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Intervention model description: One group, one measurement of the viscoelastic properties with the MyotonPro of a single trigger point before the dry needle insertion, one measurement with the MyotonPro right after and 30 minutes later
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The immediate effects (0-30 minutes) of a dry needling intervention on a trigger point on their viscoelastic properties (tone, elasticity and stiffness)

Detailed description: Objectives: To investigate the immediate effects of a dry needling puncture on the viscoelastic properties (tone, stiffness and elasticity) of a trigger point (TP) located in the infraspinatus muscle in participants with non-traumatic chronic shoulder pain.

Methods: Forty-eight individuals who presented non-traumatic chronic shoulder pain were recruited. The presence of a TP in the infraspinatus muscle of the painful side was confirmed by an experienced physiotherapist with a palpatory exam according to Travell and Simons criteria. The TP was marked and the viscoelastic properties including tone, stiffness and elasticity were measured with the MyotonPro device by an evaluator. After the first set of measurements (T1), an experienced physiotherapist applied a dry needling puncture to the TP with a pistoning technique to obtain a local twitch response (LTR) with an Optimed 40 x 0.30 mm single use acupuncture needle. The same set of measurements was repeated immediately after the dry needling (T2) and 30 minutes later (T3). Repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc tests were used to assess changes in viscoelastic properties over time with a significant level set at 0.05.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. present with chronic shoulder pain of non-traumatic origin (rated at least 2/10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS) for more than 3 months. The pain had to be located in the shoulder area or referred in the area of the infraspinatus as described by Travell and Simons (1999);
2. have a hyperirritable spot within a palpable tight band that reproduced the participant's pain when compressed by palpation; and
3. have a body mass index (BMI) lower than 28

Exclusion Criteria:

1. diagnosis of capsulitis, cancer, or metastasis;
2. previous shoulder or thorax surgery or a mastectomy;
3. shoulder girdle bone fracture;
4. C4-C5 or C6 radiculopathy;
5. known osteoporotic profile (positive bone densitometry);
6. apparent atrophy of the infraspinatus fossa (visual interpretation) and
7. contraindications to receive a DN intervention

Primary outcomes:
measure: Tone in Hertz measured with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Tone in Hertz measured with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: immediately after the intervention
measure: Tone in Hertz measured with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: 30 minutes after the intervention
measure: Stiffness in N/m with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Stiffness in N/m with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: immediately after the intervention
measure: Stiffness in N/m with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: 30 minutes after the intervention
measure: Elasticity (no units: inversely proportional to the decrement of the oscillations) with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Elasticity (no units: inversely proportional to the decrement of the oscillations) with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: immediately after the intervention
measure: Elasticity (no units: inversely proportional to the decrement of the oscillations) with a myotonometer on the trigger point
timeFrame: 30 minutes after the intervention
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Sherbrooke
country: Canada
facility: CRCHUS-Physius Lab
state: Quebec
Study officials:
affiliation: Université de Sherbrooke
name: Nathaly Gaudreault, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: