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CompletedNCT03546517Updated Sep 20, 2019

Effectiveness of Dry Needling (DNHS Technique) in Patients With Chronic Stroke

An interventional study of Dry Needling and Sham Dry Needling in Stroke and Spasticity, sponsored by Universidad San Jorge. Completed at 1 site in Spain. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-09-20.

Sponsored by Universidad San Jorge · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
23
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
40 Years to 90 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Study hypothesis:

The DNHS technique, performed via one session of deep dry needling of myofascial trigger points applied to the biceps brachii, brachialis, flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus, triceps brachii, extensor digitorum and adductor pollicis muscle is effective for decreasing spasticity and muscle stiffness (both of which are components of hypertonia) as well as for improving the upper limb function of the previously described muscles in patients with chronic cerebral vascular accident (CVA), assessed both post-intervention and after 15 days.

General aims

To analyse the immediate therapeutic effect of the DNHS technique and the effect at 15 days follow-up, for the following variables:

  • Spasticity
  • Muscle stiffness
  • Upper limb function
  • Patient perceived quality of life

Materials and methods Population: patients from the province of Zaragoza (Spain) diagnosed with a haemorrhagic or ischemic CVA by a neurologist.

Recruitment strategy: recruitment will take place via the Stroke Association in Aragon (AIDA) [Aragon Stroke Association] in the province of Zaragoza, Spain, seeing as the greater proportion of patients who have suffered a stroke and are in the chronic stage of the illness go to this centre to receive treatment. Thus, this avoids patients having to travel elsewhere for the study. Furthermore, in the case of patients who wish to participate in the study after having received information via third persons or via other means and who are not members of the Association or do not attend the centre on a regular basis, the Association AIDA has offered to allow these people to attend for free, making its facilities available and supporting the development of this study.

02

Conditions studied

  • Stroke
  • Spasticity

Keywords

  • myofascial trigger point
  • dry needling
  • spasticity
  • stroke
03

In context

Muscle Spasticity

704 studies on the registry are indexed under Muscle Spasticity; 149 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 23 is below the median of 36 across 525 interventional studies indexed under Muscle Spasticity.

Browse Muscle Spasticity studies →

Lead sponsor

Universidad San Jorge is the lead sponsor of 32 studies on the registry; 4 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years to 90 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients who have been diagnosed with a haemorrhagic or ischemic CVA by a neurologist.
  • Cognitive level: minimental state examination (MMSE) ≥ 27 points. All patients must have a good cognitive level in order to ensure that they are able to communicate with the professionals involved in the study in order to understand the exercises and thus fulfil the objectives for participation.
  • Presence of spasticity ≥1 according to the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS) score during the flexion-extension movement of the wrist and elbow in at least one of the muscles of the upper limb evaluated.
  • Age: between 30 - 90 years. In this range of age CVA's are more common, according to data from the Spanish Statistical Office.
  • Evolution: over 6 months must have passed since the CVA episode. Most of the studies reviewed involve patients who are in the chronic stage of illness. This will ensure that the changes found are due to our intervention and not related to plasticity mechanisms occurring after the injury (this will be considered objectively by performing an assessment at baseline, which will be repeated 1 week later, immediately before and after the dry needling intervention).

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Concomitance of degenerative illnesses which can alter the results.
  • Presence of fixed contractures: 4 according to the MMAS score
  • Suffering from epileptic fits that are not medically controlled.
  • Fear of needles.
  • No tolerance to pain caused by needling.
  • Those unable to commit to attendance.
  • Patients who have received treatment with Botulinum Toxin (BTX A) in the 6 months prior to their inclusion in this study, or those who received said medication or another during the study with the aim of decreasing spasticity.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
23 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Intervention with DNHS technique

    Dry needling of biceps brachii, brachialis, flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus, triceps brachialis, extensor digitorum and adductor pollicis

    Other: Dry Needling

  • Sham comparator
    Sham Dry Needling

    Sham Dry needling of biceps brachii, brachialis, flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus, triceps brachialis, extensor digitorum and adductor pollicis

    Other: Sham Dry Needling

Interventions

  • OtherDry Needling

    Dry needling of biceps brachii, brachialis, flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus, triceps brachialis, extensor digitorum and adductor pollicis

    Also known as: DNHS technique

  • OtherSham Dry Needling

    Sham Dry needling of biceps brachii, brachialis, flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus, triceps brachialis, extensor digitorum and adductor pollicis

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Fugl-Meyer Scale

    Scale measuring Upper Limb Function in stroke patients. The motor and sensory assessments are scored on a three-point ordinal scale (0 -2) in which a higher score indicates superior results. The motor assessment measures voluntary limb movement and includes a subscale for the Upper Extremity (33 items; score range, 0-66). The sensory assessment measures limb sensation. Sensation is assessed as absent, impaired, or normal for light touch (two items each for Upper Extremity (UE) and Lower Extremity (LE); score range, 0-8) and proprioception (four items each for UE and LE; score range, 0-16) for a total sensory Fugl-Meyer (FM) score of 24. Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) has shown to have an excellent intra and interrater reliability (0.89-0.99). The estimated minimal clinical important difference (MCID) of the UE-FM scores ranged from 4.25 to 7.25 points .

    Time frame: Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and post intervention (immediately after intervention). Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and follow-up at 2 weeks after intervention

Secondary outcomes

  1. Modified Modified Ashworth Scale

    Scale measuring Spasticity/Hypertonia. This scale ranges from 0 to 4 points for each muscle assessed, where 0 is no hypertonia/spasticity and 4 is the highest hypertonia/spasticity.

    Time frame: Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and post intervention (immediately after intervention). Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and follow-up at 2 weeks after intervention

  2. Electromyography (EMG)

    Neurophysiological measurements (electromyographic measurements). The amount of electrical activity will be measured quantitatively, from 0 to an undefined value (depending on every muscle´s activity)

    Time frame: Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and post intervention (immediately after intervention). Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and follow-up at 2 weeks after intervention

  3. Tonometry (measurement of muscle tone with a device)

    Muscle stiffness or muscle tone. This device register different parameters like frequency, oscillation, etc that are related to tone, and start from 0 to an undefined number (depending on every muscle). It is a quantitative measurement.

    Time frame: Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and post intervention (immediately after intervention). Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and follow-up at 2 weeks after intervention

  4. Quality of Life (Euro QoL5D)

    Quality of Life. This scale measures quality of life. Description: This is a measure of self-reported health outcomes. It consists of two parts: a descriptive system (Part I) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) (Part II). Part I of the scale consists of 5 single-item dimensions including: mobility, self care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has a 3 point response scale, ranging from worst imaginable health state to best imaginable health state. Scoring/Interpretation: Descriptive data from the 5 dimensions of Part I can be used to generate a health-related quality of life profile for the subject. Part II is scored from 0 (worst health state imaginable) to 100 (best health state imaginable).

    Time frame: Change between baseline (immediately before intervention) and follow-up at 2 weeks after intervention

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Universidad San Jorge
    Zaragoza, 50830, Spain
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Calvo S, Brandin-de la Cruz N, Jimenez-Sanchez C, Bravo-Esteban E, Herrero P. Effects of dry needling on function, hypertonia and quality of life in chronic stroke: a randomized clinical trial. Acupunct Med. 2022 Aug;40(4):312-321. doi: 10.1177/09645284211056347. Epub 2021 Dec 13. PubMed 34894776 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Data will be available under request once it is published

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 20, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03546517
Lead sponsor
Universidad San Jorge
Responsible party
Pablo Herrero Gallego (Head of iPhysio Research Group, San Jorge University, Universidad San Jorge) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 6, 2018
Start date
Jun 19, 2018
Primary completion
Jul 30, 2018
Completion
Sep 4, 2018
Last update
Sep 20, 2019

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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