The effect of dry needling on pain, pressure pain threshold and disability in patients with a myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle

The Effectiveness of Trigger Point Dry Needling for Musculoskeletal Conditions by Physical Therapists: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…After the full review process, 12 studies were selected for inclusion. 2,7,12,24,27,28,32,33,35,36,38,43 After contact with primary authors of included studies, 1 further study was identified for inclusion, 6 resulting in a total of 13 studies. The absolute degree of rater agreement for the first and second stages of the study selection was 86% and 93%, respectively.…”

“…This systematic review focused on musculoskeletal pain and included 13 studies: 6 on neck pain (5 on mechanical neck pain 6,24,28,32,43 and 1 on chronic whiplash-associated disorder 38 ), 1 on postoperative shoulder pain, 2 1 on chronic lower back pain, 33 1 on total knee arthroplasty, 27 1 on chronic ankle instability, 35 2 on myofascial pain, 12,36 and 1 on fibromyalgia. 7 Inclusion and exclusion criteria varied greatly across the studies.…”

Clinical Effectiveness of Dry Needling Immediately After Application on Myofascial Trigger Point in Upper Trapezius Muscle

“…[16][17][18][19][20][21] It has been suggested that DN may influence the microcirculation. Several investigators have reported that needle insertion in the muscles increased both skin and muscle blood flow in the stimulated region.…”

“…14,15 Although some previous studies have assessed the effect of DN on MTP in UT muscles, a review of the published reports determined that some randomized clinical trials have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of DN in the treatment of MTP in UT muscle. [16][17][18][19][20][21] However, with the use of different designs, samples, and testing procedures, controversial results have been reported regarding the effect of DN on MTP in UT muscles. [16][17][18][19][20][21] Most of the previous studies have assessed the clinical effectiveness of DN immediately after treatment procedures.…”

“…[16][17][18][19][20][21] However, with the use of different designs, samples, and testing procedures, controversial results have been reported regarding the effect of DN on MTP in UT muscles. [16][17][18][19][20][21] Most of the previous studies have assessed the clinical effectiveness of DN immediately after treatment procedures. 17,[19][20][21] Muscle soreness is a common report after DN application.…”