ABSTRACT
Objectives: To investigate the clinical efficacy of physiotherapy with and without superficial dry needling on patients with
Methods: A randomized clinical trial conducted in 2015, Tehran, Iran. Of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome, thirty-four subjects were randomly divided into two groups [11 in each group]. Group A was subjected to physiotherapy and group B to physiotherapy with superficial dry needling. Only for group B, superficial dry needling was applied during the ten-day sessions of physiotherapy, every other day. The needle remained for 6 minutes at three-points of the quadriceps muscle, accompanied with needle rotation. Both groups received 10 therapy sessions. For both groups, in the fir and and tenth sessions, knee pain and quadriceps muscle slrength was evaluated
Results: Statistical analysis showed the
Comparing the two groups, group B showed more pain reduction based on the visual analog scale [P<0.05]. However, according to manual muscle testing method, the muscle Strength between both the groups showed no significant difference [P<0.156]
Discussion: Physiotherapy with and without superficial dry needling were seen to reduce pain and increase muscle slrength of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. However, performing physiotherapy with superficial dry needling had a more significant effect on reducing knee pain. Superficial needling can cause many physiological and neurophysiological effects. Through stimulation of pain control mechanisms, it can help in further reduction of pain