The Effect of Dry Needling Treatment Combined With Physical Therapy in Patients With Cervical Spondylosis

The Effect of Dry Needling Treatment Combined With Physical Therapy in Patients With Cervical Spondylosis: A Randomized Controlled Study

In this study, it was aimed to determine whether dry needling treatment applied to the trigger points in the trapezius muscle in patients with chronic neck pain due to cervical spondylosis makes an additional contribution to the treatment results of the physical therapy and rehabilitation program.

Among the evaluated patients, the patients meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be randomized into 2 groups using the random numbers table.

While physical therapy and rehabilitation program will be applied to one group, dry needling treatment will be applied to the trigger points in the upper trapezius region with the same program to the other group. Patients will be evaluated before treatment (day 0) and at the end of treatment (day 21).

The randomization and evaluation of the patients will be done by Gül Tuğba Bulut, while the injection of the patients will be done by Alper Mengi.

Gender, age, education level, occupation, neck pain duration, body mass index of the patients included in the study will be recorded.

The patients will be evaluated in terms of pain intensity, number of active trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle, functional status, quality of life, anxiety and depression at before (day 0) and after treatment (day 21).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having neck pain for at least 3 months
• Restriction of neck movements and/or pain during movement
• Tenderness in neck paravertebral muscles and neural foramen with compression
• Detection of narrowing of intervertebral disc spaces, subchondral sclerosis, osteophyte on cervical radiograph
• Active trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle during the examination.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having motor, sensory or reflex abnormalities due to spinal root compression
• Whiplash injuries
• Cervical spinal stenosis
• Having undergone cervical vertebra surgery
• History of interventional procedure on the cervical region in the last 6 months
• Central or peripheral nervous system disorders
• Spondylolisthesis
• Inflammatory neck pain
• History of infectious, chronic inflammatory disease, malignancy
• Not being cooperative
• Having open wounds, infections or sensory defects on the skin where the application will be made
• Fibromyalgia
• Advanced osteoporosis or osteomalacia
• Active psychiatric illness.