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The Impact of Dry Needling on Electrophysiological and Ultrasound-based Biomarkers for Myofascial Pain
Sponsor: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Summary
The goal of this interventional study is to determine how well dry-needling can treat pain in people with Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does dry needling improve pain for people with a trigger point (a tender, tight spot in the muscle)? * How well can Electrical Impedence Myography (EIM), Myofiber Threshold Tracking (TT), and Ultrasound (US) detect changes in the muscle related to dry needling treatment? Researchers will compare dry needling to a placebo (a treatment that does not enter the trigger point) to see if dry needling works to treat Myofascial Pain Syndrome with trigger points in the trapezius muscle (the muscle that extends over the back of the neck and shoulders), as measured by these three outcome measures (EIM, US, TT). Participants will: * Visit the clinic twice: once to receive dry needling treatment, and once for a follow-up * Have muscle measurements taken before treatment and at follow-up * Have a daily survey to record the intensity of their pain
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 80 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
70
Start Date
2026-02-01
Completion Date
2028-08-31
Last Updated
2026-02-24
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Dry Needling
A physical therapy and pain management technique where a small is inserted into a trigger point (tight, tender spots in the muscle that cause pain) and maneuvered to provide pain relief.
Sham Treatment
Treatment where a sham treatment will be administered which does not directly target the trigger point. Subjects will not be able to tell the difference between dry needling and sham treatment.
Locations (2)
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States