Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2020 Jul 7:13:1677-1686.
doi: 10.2147/JPR.S240376. eCollection 2020.

Effects of Trigger Point Dry Needling on Neuromuscular Performance and Pain of Individuals Affected by Patellofemoral Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Yan-Tao Ma #  1   2 , Li-Hui Li #  2   3 , Qi Han  1 , Xiao-Lei Wang  1 , Pei-Yu Jia  1 , Qiang-Min Huang  2 , Yong-Jun Zheng  1
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Effects of Trigger Point Dry Needling on Neuromuscular Performance and Pain of Individuals Affected by Patellofemoral Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Yan-Tao Ma et al. J Pain Res. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of trigger point dry needling (TrP-DN) on exercise-induced patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).

Patients and methods: In this randomized, single-blind, parallel-group trial, 50 patients with PFPS were randomly allocated to the following two groups: the TrP-DN group (n = 25) and the Sham needling group (n = 25). Patients in both groups were asked to perform a stretching exercise of the quadriceps daily after needling. The needling group received a single session of TrP-DN to trigger points (TrPs) in the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL), and rectus femoris muscles (once a week for 6 weeks), and the Sham group received placebo needling. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain intensity and Kujala questionnaire for the functional status were assessed before treatment, 3 and 6 weeks after treatment, and at the 3-month follow-up. The ratio of the myoelectric amplitude of the vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis muscles (VMO/VL) was assessed before treatment and 6 weeks after treatment.

Results: There was no significant difference in the general data between the two groups. The VAS scores and Kujala scores in the TrP-DN group were significantly improved and increased at the 3-week treatment visit, 6-week treatment visit, and 3-month follow-up compared to the scores before treatment; and the scores in the Sham group were only significantly improved at the 3-week treatment visit, and 6-week treatment visit. VAS scores in the TrP-DN group were significantly lower and Kujala scores were significantly higher at the 6-week treatment visit and the 3-month follow-up compared to those in the Sham group. The VMO/VL ratio in the TrP-DN group was significantly increased at the 6-week treatment visit compared to that before treatment.

Conclusion: TrP-DN at the quadriceps combined with stretch can reduce the pain, and improves the clinical symptoms and function, the VMO/VL ratio, and the coordination of VMO and VL in patients with PFPS.

Keywords: myofascial trigger points; patellofemoral pain syndrome; stretching.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The enrollment and outcomes of patients.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The VAS scores in the TrP-DN group and the Sham group. Notes: *Compared with the same group at pre-treatment p<0.05, #Compared with the same group at 3 weeks after treatment p<0.05, ▲Compared with the control group p<0.05. n=25 in the TrP-DN Group; n=23 in the Sham group. Abbreviations: TrP-DN, trigger point dry needling; Pre, Pre-treatment; 3w, 3 weeks after treatment; 6w, 6 weeks after treatment; 3m, 3 months after treatment.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The Kujala scores in the TrP-DN group and the Sham group. Notes: *Compared with the same group at pre-treatment p<0.05, #Compared with the same group at 3 weeks after treatment p<0.05, ▲Compared with the control group p<0.05. n=25 in the TrP-DN Group; n=23 in the Sham group. Abbreviations: TrP-DN, trigger point dry needling; Pre, Pre-treatment; 3w, 3 weeks after treatment; 6w, 6 weeks after treatment; 3m, 3 months after treatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Dey P, Callaghan M, Cook N, et al. A questionnaire to identify patellofemoral pain in the community: an exploration of measurement properties. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016;17:1–11. doi:10.1186/s12891-016-1097-5 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Witvrouw E, Callaghan MJ, Stefanik JJ, et al. Patellofemoral pain: consensus statement from the 3rd international patellofemoral pain research retreat held in vancouver, September 2013. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:411–414. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-093450 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Halabchi F, Abolhasani M, Mirshahi M, et al. Patellofemoral pain in athletes: clinical perspectives. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017;8:189–203. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S127359 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Crossley KM, Stefanik JJ, Selfe J, et al. Patellofemoral pain consensus statement from the 4th international patellofemoral pain research retreat, manchester. Part 1: terminology, definitions, clinical examination, natural history, patellofemoral osteoarthritis and patient-reported outcome measures. Br J Sports Med. 2016;50:839–843. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096384 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fernández-De-Las-Peñas C, Nijs J. Trigger point dry needling for the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome: current perspectives within a pain neuroscience paradigm. J Pain Res. 2019;12:1899–1911. doi:10.2147/JPR.S154728 - DOI - PMC - PubMed