The Effects of Dry Needling on Patients With Knee Pain
Recruiting now · Not applicable · Has a placebo group
Conditions studied: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome
In brief
This study is testing the effectiveness of "dry needling" for pain management and on muscle strength and leg function for those with knee pain. Dry needling consists of small, monofilament needles that are administered directly into the tissue and manipulated to make the muscle relax for pain relief. This technique is used to treat dysfunctions in skeletal muscle and connective tissue to help diminish pain, reduce impairments of body structure and restore function.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT02890485
- Run by
- Ohio State University
- People needed
- 120
- Starts
- 2016-08-01
- Expected to finish
- 2030-12-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-02-25
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 40. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- 18-40 years-of-age
- Referred for physical therapy
- Presence of anterior knee pain around the patella during ascending/descending stairs, squatting, and/or running for at least 3 months.
You may not qualify if…
- Unable to provide consent
- Bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome
- Received previous dry needling treatments
- Pregnancy
- History of pain less than 3 months
- Imaging demonstrating the presence of confounding internal abnormality (e.g. chondral defects, ligamentous injury, and/or meniscal pathology),
- Patellar instability
- Presence of a neurological condition that would affect movement
- Contraindications to dry needling techniques (e.g. a history of bleeding disorders, phobia of needles, an active cancer diagnosis, and presence of other systemic illness such as fever or signs of infection)
- Actively receiving treatment for knee pain outside of the current study protocol while enrolled in the study;
- received active and supervised PT treatment for knee pain within the last 4 weeks;
- history of knee surgery less than 6 months ago
- history of surgical correction of the patellofemoral complex (e.g. MPFL reconstruction, patellar realignment surgery, etc)
Where it is running
- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center — Columbus, Ohio, United States (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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