The Effect of One Dry Needling Session on Pain and Central Pain Processing in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: a Randomized Controlled Trial
The Effect of One Dry Needling Session on Pain and Central Pain Processing in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Research suggests that myofascial trigger points (MTrP) play an important role in explaining pain in patients with musculoskeletal knee disorders. Trigger points are usually defined as hypersensitive tender spots within taut bands of skeletal muscles that are painful on muscle stimulation and that usually elicit referred pain. Treatment of these trigger points could possibly alleviate symptoms in patients with knee pain. However, literature on the effect of trigger point therapy, dry needling in particular, in patients with musculoskeletal knee disorders is scarce. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of trigger point therapy (dry needling (DN)) on pain, presence of altered central pain processing, muscle features and gait pattern in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). 60 patients with symptomatic KOA will participate in this study. They will randomly be allocated in either an experimental group (EG) (dry needling technique) or a placebo group (PG) (sham needling technique). Pain (Visual analogue scale (VAS) & KOA outcome score (KOOS), muscle features during gait and gait pattern (3D gait analysis and surface electroMyoGraphy (EMG)) and presence of altered central pain processing (Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), Quantitative Sensory testing (QST)) will be measured at baseline and 15 minutes after the intervention. Additionally, pain will be measured 3 days after the intervention. The investigators hypothesize that the effect on the outcome measures will be significantly larger in the EG compared to the PG.
Inclusion Criteria:
A minimum age of fifty years old;
Diagnosed with KOA based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical classification criteria(48), including:
Exclusion Criteria: