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NCT Number: NCT06459804

Effects of Electro Dry Needling Versus Dry Needling in Levator Scapulae Syndrome

Mechanical neck pain is posteriorly occurring non-specific pain that originates from the superior nuchal line and extends to the first thoracic vertebrae. It is exacerbated by sustained neck postures, neck movements or cervical muscle palpation. The aim of study will be to compare the effects of Electro Dry Needling and Dry Needling on pain, muscle strength, disability and range of motion in patients with Levator Scapulae Syndrome.

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Key information

Conditions

Neck Syndrome Neck Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–45 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Aqsa Clinic

Lahore, Punjab Province, 54000, Pakistan

About this study

A Randomized Clinical Trial will be conducted at Shalamar Hospital, (SIHS Physiotherapy Clinic Lahore) through convenience sampling technique on 30 patients which will be allocated using simple random sampling through sealed opaque enveloped into Group A and Group B. Group A will receive Electro Dry Needling along with conventional physiotherapy in which parameters for Electro dry needling will be needles of 30×0.25 mm, 50×0.25 mm sizes, Frequency 80-100 Hz, Duration 10-20 minutes and intensity as tolerated and Group B will receive Dry Needling along with conventional Physiotherapy in which parameters will be dry needles will be 30×0.25 and 50×0.25 mm sizes. Standard Physiotherapy will include a Hot pack (10 min), Stretching of levator scapulae (3 times with 30 second hold), and Scapular stabilization exercises (10 times with 5 second hold).There will be 3 sessions per week, Needling in both groups will be for performed 2 times per week for total 3rd week of treatment comprising of 6 sessions, 3rd session will comprise of standard physical therapy. Pre and Post treatment measures will be recorded.Outcome measures will be conducted through pain, *muscle strength,* disability and range of motion questionnaire. Data will be analyzed during *SPSS software version 25.After assessing the normality of data by the Shapiro-Wilk test, it will be decided whether a parametric or non-parametric test will be used within a group or between two groups.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ranges of 18-45 years
  • Both genders, males and females
  • Positive Levator Scapular length Test (7)
  • Positive Simon's criteria for Levator scapulae
  • Neck pain -NPRS < 7 (8)
  • Neck and upper back pain for at least 3months.
  • Examination - Increased muscle tone and tenderness at neck and upper back
  • Reduced ROM-Side flexion and Rotation of neck
  • Non traumatic unilateral mechanical neck pain of three or more months of duration, presenting an latent MTrP in the levator scapulae muscle on the painful side

Exclusion criteria

  • Neuropathies
  • Radiated pain towards the arm
  • Vertebral fractures
  • Traumatic neck injury
  • whiplash injury (9)
  • previous surgical procedures in the cervical spine
  • Previous cognitive and functional disorders
  • psychological disorders (mood and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, depression,and anxiety disorders),
  • Fibromyalgia

Treatment and study plan

Electro Dry Needling

Procedure

Standard Physiotherapy:

It will include Hot pack (10 min), Stretching of levator scapulae (3 times with 30 seconds hold), Scapular stabilization exercises (10 times with 5 seconds hold).

Scapular Stabilization exercises will be comprised of four exercise programs. The participants will sit on the knees in 90° flexion position, and a Swiss ball will be propped up between the stomach and chest.

dry needling

Procedure

Dry Needling

Primary outcomes

  1. Numeric pain rate scale (NPRS)

    Time frame: upto 3 weeks

    The NPRS is a segmented numeric version in which a respondent selects a whole number (0-10 integers) that best reflects the intensity of his/her pain. The common format is a horizontal bar or line. the NPRS is anchored by terms describing pain severity extremes.

    The 11-point numeric scale ranges from '0' representing one pain extreme (e.g. "no pain") to '10' representing the other pain extreme (e.g. "pain as bad as you can imagine" or "worst pain imaginable").

  2. Neck Disability index (NDI)

    Time frame: upto 3 weeks

    The results of this questionnaire have been utilized to evaluate the disability. It consists of 10 items: 7 linked to activities of daily living, 2 to pain, and 1 to concentration. From 0 to 5, each item received a score. Higher scores corresponded to more disability, and the total score was reported as a percentage.

  3. Universal Goniometer

    Time frame: upto 3 weeks

    An instrument called a goniometer is used to measure a joint's range of motion. Physical therapists typically use a goniometer to measure a range of motion. At the initial evaluation, the therapist can determine the possible range of motion using a goniometer .

    Range of motion: Side flexion and Rotation of neck measured with Goniometer.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Riphah International University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Electro Dry Needling Versus Dry Needling on Pain, Muscle Strength, and Range of Motion in Patients With Levator Scapulae Syndrome

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Jun 14, 2024
Registry last updated
Oct 15, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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