Dry Needling, Manual Therapy and Exercise for Neck Pain Management

Efficacy of Adding Dry Needling to a Manual Therapy and Therapeutic Exercise Interventions for Managing Neck Pain Populations: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Since neck pain is the fourth highest disabling condition (with an estimated point prevalence of 20%, lifetime prevalence up to 70% and high recurrence rates), dry needling targeting myofascial trigger points in neck muscles has been proposed as an effective treatment for reducing pain and disability in patients with chronic neck pain.

A recent meta-analysis reported whether dry needling could be recommended for this population. Low to moderate evidence suggests that dry needling can be effective at the short-term, but its effects on pressure pain sensitivity or cervical range of motion are limited.

Inclusion Criteria:

• To be between 18 and 65 years old
• To have been experiencing unilateral neck pain for at least 3 months
• To have a Neck Disability Index (NDI) score >8
• To have a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score >3
• To have at least one active MTrP located in the upper trapezius or cervical multifidus muscles

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of whiplash injury
• Previous cervical surgery
• Cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy
• Diagnosis of fibromyalgia
• Additional analgesic treatments during the study (e.g. physiotherapy or drugs)
• Psychiatric disorders
• Any contraindication to the interventions proposed (e.g. fear of needles or anticoagulants)