In recent years, dry needling techniques have become widespread in the field of musculoskeletal pain treatment. Specifically, the management of myofascial trigger points has been the focus of these techniques. One of the objectives has been to improve the flexibility of those muscles that, due to the presence of myofascial trigger points, had a decrease in this parameter. This study aims to determine whether the application of a dry needling technique is more effective than analytical stretching of the muscle.
Hypothesis of the study Deep dry needling of latent trigger points of the rectus femoris produces greater effects on flexibility, strength and pain than superficial dry needling or stretching. \- Overall objective: To compare the differences that occur in flexibility, strength and pain threshold to pressure after the application of deep dry needling, superficial dry needling and stretching on latent trigger points of the rectus femoris. \- Specific objectives To determine the changes produced by deep dry needling on flexibility, strength and pain threshold to pressure. To determine the changes produced by superficial dry needling on flexibility, strength and pain threshold to pressure. To determine the changes in flexibility, strength and pain threshold to pressure produced by conventional assisted stretching. To check if the changes remain after 7 days of the application of the techniques. To assess the inter-rater reliability of the Goniometer APP in the study sample.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
90
In-and-out into different directions technique to encounter sensitive spots in an MTrP region.
This technique involves inserting a needle at a depth that is into the subcutaneous tissue and may be combined with manipulation of the needle while in situ.
Type of stretching in which you stay in one position for a set time. In this case, hip extension and knee flexion.
Centro Investigación Fisioterapia y Dolor
Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Physiotherapy and Pain Institute
Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Knee joint range
Knee flexion motion assessment by using the Goniometer APP, which is a digital goniometer that has proven its reliability and validity.The overall concordance coefficient has shown very good to excellent with active measurements (range, 0.60-0.97).
Time frame: Change from baseline at 7 days
Muscle strength
Force will be measured by a manual dynamometer (microFET®2, Hoggan Scientific LLC). Measurements will be taken in Newtons (N). It will be evaluated in the movements of flexion of knee. Manual dynamometry has proven to be a tool with excellent intra-examiner reliability to assess isometric force in flexion of the knee, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.96 (0.93-0.98).
Time frame: Change from baseline at 7 days
Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT)
An algometer Wagner FPI 10-WA will be used to determine the PPT in rectus femoris trigger points
Time frame: Change from baseline at 7 days
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