Clinical trial NCT03788161: Virtual Reality and Post-dry Needling Soreness
Official title: Effects of Virtual Reality on Post-Needling Soreness After Dry Needling of Trigger Points in the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Epicondylitis of the Elbow
Keywords: trigger points
virtual reality
Dry needling
Lead sponsor: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-12-27
Enrollment: 50
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Application of trigger point dry needling can induce post-dry needling soreness. This is not a negative experience, but sometimes some patients want to reduce it as much as possible. Different therapeutic strategies targeting to decrease post-dry needling soreness need to be investigated. Previous studies have investigated spray and stretch, ischemic compression or low-load eccentric exercise as post-needling intervention procedures. There is increasing evidence supporting the role of descending pain inhibition mechanisms for paon control. The application of virtual reality as a distraction technique could active brain mechanisms during dry needling. Therefore, the objective of this study will be to investigate the effects of playing virtual reality during the application of dry needling on post-needling soreness over trigger points in the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle. A secondary aim will be to determine the prognostic role of baseline scores of pressure pain sensitivity, related-disability, anxiety and catastrophizing levels.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria for pain-free participants:

* no history of upper quadrant pain symptoms the year preceding the study
* no history of upper quadrant surgery
* presence of a latent trigger point in the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle

Inclusion criteria for patients with elbow pain:

* pain over the lateral side of the elbow;
* pain on palpation over the lateral epicondyle or the associated common wrist extensor tendon;
* elbow pain with either resisted static contraction or stretching of the wrist extensor muscles.
* presence of an active trigger point in the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle

Exclusion Criteria:

* bilateral symptoms;
* older than 50 years of age;
* previous surgery or steroid injections;
* other diagnoses of upper extremity (shoulder pathology, cervical radiculopathy, cervical whiplash);
* history of cervical or upper extremity trauma;
* history of musculoskeletal medical conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia);

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes in post-dry needling pain assessed with a numerical pain rate scale before and after the intervention
timeFrame: Baseline, 5 minutes after, 12 hours after, 24 hours after, 36 hours after, 48 hours after, and 72 hours after treatment
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Baseline score of upper extremity related-disability assessed with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Baseline data on pressure pain sensitivity assessed with a pressure algometer
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Baseline anxiety levels as assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Catastrophizing belief as assessed with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale
timeFrame: Baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Alcorcon
country: Spain
facility: Cesar Fernandez-de-Las-Peñas
state: Madrid
Study officials:
References: