Treatment of Hamstring Muscle in Patients With Low-back Pain

Effectiveness of Hamstring Muscle Dry Needling in Patients With Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain of Non-specific Origin

This study evaluates the treatment of hamstrings in the management of patients with mechanical low back pain of non-specific origin. Half of the participants will received the application of a dry needle technique in the most hyperalgesic areas of the muscle, while the other half will received the same technique in areas not hyperalgesic.

Shortening of the hamstrings could be related to low back pain.Therefore, the treatment of these muscles may improve pain.

The dry needling technique seems to improve the extensibility of the muscles. This technique seems to be more effective when is applied in the most hyperalgesic areas related to the participant's pain.

In order to demonstrate this hypothesis, the investigators will check if the dry needling technique produces the same effects when is applied in other areas of those same muscles

Inclusion Criteria:

• Nonspecific chronic low back pain lasting ≥ 3 months.
• Age between 18 and 65 years.
• History of non-specific lumbar pain not irradiated to lower extremities of at least 1 year of evolution.
• Those subjects who have not received a physiotherapy session in the last 6 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Specific low back pain (infection, tumor, inflammation, canal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, hernia or disc prolapse, structural deformity, rheumatic disease, radicular pain, cauda equina, previous history of spinal surgery).

  • Fibromyalgia.
  • Treatment with corticosteroids or oral medications in the last 6 months.
  • History of spinal surgery.
  • Contraindications typical of deep dry puncture (needle phobia, coagulation or psychological disorders, varicose regions, cysts, wounds, metal or latex allergy, lymphedema, hypothyroidism, diabetes).
  • Those subjects with a value of 0º in the Active Knee Extension (EAR) test.
  • Pregnancy