Dry Needling in Multiple Sclerosis

University of Kansas Medical Center24 enrolled

Overview

The investigators are doing this study to see if a treatment called dry needling improves muscle spasticity (muscle tightness) in people who have Multiple Sclerosis. Dry needling involves using tiny needles, like those in acupuncture, to target some muscles, like calf muscles. It differs from traditional acupuncture as it focuses on treating or managing muscle spots, aiming to reduce muscle stiffness and pain. Dry needling may offer a minimally-invasive and medication-free approach to improve muscle spasticity. The investigators hope to see if dry needling also helps enhance balance and walking abilities. This might provide potential improvements inoverall mobility and balance.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Multiple Sclerosis Spasticity

Interventions

The dry needling technique will employ in the current proposed study follows the standard technique for needling patients with spasticity

Sham dry needlingDEVICE

In the control group, The investigators will use the methods proposed by Cushman et al. to apply sham dry needling (DN) to our participants

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 64 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 to 64 years * Clinical diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis based on the McDonald Criteria * Spasticity in their lower legs * Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) score of 5 or below Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to communicate effectively with study personnel * Needle phobia * Severe varicose veins * Presence of an active implanted device * Pregnancy * Any active cancer or history within 1 year * known or suspected infection at the site of needling or in the surrounding area * Presence of a fixed plantarflexion contracture at the ankle * Acute fracture of dislocation in the region (bilateral lower extremity) * Deep vein thrombosis or peripheral vascular disease * Thrombophlebitis, or active osteomyelitis in the region (bilateral lower extremity) * Any medication changes, including antispastic medicines, for the past three months.

Locations (1)

Mobility and Falls Lab

Kansas City, Kansas, United States

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Spasticity

Spasticity will be assessed through the Modified Ashworth scale (Scored between 0 to 4, with higher scores show higher level of spasticity)

Time frame: 5 weeks

Central Contacts

Abbas TABATABAEI, PhD

CONTACT

913-588-3715 stabatabaeihalavi@kumc.edu

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.