Trigger Point Dry Needling With and Without Electrical Stimulation in Healthy Subjects

Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: People With Identified Painful Trigger Points (Tp) Within the Soleus and Gastrocnemius Muscles Complex, Healthy Subjects or Volunteers

In brief

DN is one of the most commonly used physical therapy (PT) interventions for managing trigger points (Tp). Evidence suggests that DN was equally effective as other PT interventions, compared to no treatment or Sham-DN. Electrical stimulation (ES) is also a commonly used non-invasive method for pain management during PT. Recently, several studies suggested that combining DN with ES may be more effective in trigger point release than DN alone. The goal of this clinical trial was to determine the effects that trigger point dry needling with and without electrical stimulation had on pain threshold. It would also learn about the effect the trigger point dry needling has on muscle activity in people with identified painful trigger points within the soleus and gastrocnemius muscle complex. The main questions it aims to answer are: * In terms of trigger point pain threshold, is DN combined with ES superior to DN alone, ES alone, or Sham treatment? * In terms of muscle activity, is DN with ES superior to DN only, ES only or Sham treatment? Researchers will compare dry needling with electrical stimulation, dry needling only, electrical stimulation only and a Sham treatment to see these interventions affect pain threshold and muscle activity. Participants will: * Randomly assigned as one of the four groups * Visit the clinic once for test * Receive permission and conduct intervention according to protocol.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT07384247
Run by
University of Rhode Island
People needed
40
Starts
2023-01-02
Expected to finish
2023-04-30
Last updated by the study team
2026-02-03

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 55. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may not qualify if…

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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