An interventional study of Dose of five-incisions dry needling technique and Dose of ten-incisions dry needling technique in Neck Pain, sponsored by University of Alcala. Completed at 2 sites in Spain. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-18.
Sponsored by University of Alcala · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The dry needling technique is a procedure increasingly used by health professionals.
Dry needling consists of the use of a filiform needle to treat musculoskeletal pain. Currently, the mechanisms by which it is an effective technique are not well understood. One of the aspects not yet evaluated is the best dose in terms of the number of times it is necessary to insert the needle into the patient to achieve the best result.
This research work aims to assess which treatment obtains the best results in the management of patients with chronic neck pain.
With the objective of demonstrating how the dose used during the application of the dry needling technique is related to the effectiveness of the treatment, we have designed a study where three different doses of the dry needling technique for the treatment of myofascial trigger points will be compared in the upper trapezius muscle in participants with neck pain.
Randomly, the participants will be distributed to each of the treatment groups and we will measure how the effectiveness of each of the applied doses determines the result of the application of the dry needling technique in the treatment of neck pain.
1,232 studies on the registry are indexed under Neck Pain; 254 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 90 is above the median of 52 across 1,004 interventional studies indexed under Neck Pain.
Browse Neck Pain studies →University of Alcala is the lead sponsor of 123 studies on the registry; 36 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Subjects treated in this group will receive an in-out technique with a dosage of five incisions in the myofascial trigger point of the levator scapulae muscle.
Other: Dose of five-incisions dry needling technique
Subjects treated in this group will receive an in-out technique with a dosage of ten incisions in the myofascial trigger point of the levator scapulae muscle.
Other: Dose of ten-incisions dry needling technique
Subjects treated in this group will receive an in-out technique with a dosage of fifteen incisions in the myofascial trigger point of the levator scapulae muscle.
Other: Dose of fifteen-incisions dry needling technique
Once we have assessed the existence of a myofascial trigger point in the levator scapulae muscle, and while the subject is in lateral decubitus on the same side, with a forceps palpation, we apply a rapid in /out dry needling technique (five incisions).
Once we have assessed the existence of a myofascial trigger point in the levator scapulae muscle, and while the subject is in lateral decubitus on the same side, with a forceps palpation, we apply a rapid in /out dry needling technique (ten incisions).
Once we have assessed the existence of a myofascial trigger point in the levator scapulae muscle, and while the subject is in lateral decubitus on the same side, with a forceps palpation, we apply a rapid in /out dry needling technique (fifteen incisions).
Neck pain
Visual Analog Scale (VAS). VAS is a unidimensional measure of pain intensity, used to record patients' pain progression, or compare pain severity between patients with similar conditions. It is a straight horizontal line of fixed length, usually 100 mm where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst possible pain.
Time frame: Change From Baseline in Pain Scores on the Visual Analog Scale at three month.
Disability (Neck disability index)
This questionnaire has been designed to give us information as to how your neck pain has affected your ability to manage in everyday life. It´s value ranges from 0 to 10 to 50 points, where 0 is the absence of disability and 50 is the highest degree of disability.
Time frame: Change From Baseline in Pain Scores on the Visual Analog Scale at three month.
Pain catastrophizing
Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). The PCS is a 13-item instrumen that task participants to reflect on past painful experiences, and to indicate the degree to which they experienced each of 13 thoughts or feelings when experiencing pain, on 5-point scales with the end points (0) not at all and (4) all the time. The PCS total scores range from 0 - 52. 0 is the best result and 52 is the worst result.
Time frame: Change From Baseline in Pain Scores on the Visual Analog Scale at three month.
kinesiophobia
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) describe patient circumstances characterised by an "excessive, irrational, and debilitating fear of physical movement and activity resulting from a feeling of vulnerability to painful injury or reinjury. The TSK is a 17 item assessment checklist.The 17 item TSK total scores range from 17 to 68 where the lowest 17 means no or negligible kinesiophobia, and the higher scores indicate an increasing degree of kinesiophobia.
Time frame: Change From Baseline in Pain Scores on the Visual Analog Scale at three month.
The Global Rating of Change (GRoC)
It's a scale that assesses whether the patient condition has gotten worse, better, or stayed
Time frame: Change From Baseline in Pain Scores on the Visual Analog Scale at three month.
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Alcala