Dry Needling Versus Conventional Physical Therapy in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

NCT ID: NCT02373631

Last Updated: 2017-05-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 105 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-02-28
• Study Completion Date: 2017-05-19

Brief Summary

The purpose of this research is to compare the effectiveness of conventional physical therapy (manual physical therapy, exercise, range of motion, and stretching) versus conventional physical therapy combined with dry needling in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Physical therapists commonly use conventional physical therapy techniques and dry needling to treat knee OA, and this study is attempting to find out if the addition of dry needling to conventional physical therapy has an equal, greater, or lesser effect than conventional physical therapy alone.

Detailed Description

Patients with knee OA will be randomized to receive 1-2 treatments per week for 6 weeks (up to 10 sessions total) of either: (1) Dry Needling and conventional physical therapy or the (2) Conventional physical therapy (manual physical therapy, exercise, range of motion and stretching)

Conditions

Knee Osteoarthritis

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Dry Needling, Conventional PT

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Dry Needling, Conventional PT

Intervention Type: OTHER

Dry needling to the knee and conventional physical therapy (stretching, ROM, strengthening), 1-2 treatments per week X6 weeks (up to 10 sessions total)

Conventional PT

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Conventional PT

Intervention Type: OTHER

Conventional physical therapy to include knee stretching, range of motion, and strengthening exercises,1-2 treatments per week X6 weeks (up to 10 sessions total)

Interventions

Dry Needling, Conventional PT

Dry needling to the knee and conventional physical therapy (stretching, ROM, strengthening), 1-2 treatments per week X6 weeks (up to 10 sessions total)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Conventional PT

Conventional physical therapy to include knee stretching, range of motion, and strengthening exercises,1-2 treatments per week X6 weeks (up to 10 sessions total)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Report of knee pain of at least 2/10 per NPRS (0---10 scale) for >3 months

2. Report of at least 3 of the following per Altman et al. (1986)

• Over 50 Years of age
• Less than 30 minutes of morning stiffness
• Crepitus on active motion
• Bony tenderness
• Bony enlargement
• No palpable warmth of synovium

Exclusion Criteria

1. Report of red flags to manual physical therapy to include: hypertension, infection, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, heart disease, stroke, chronic ischemia, edema, severe varicosities, tumor, metabolic disease, prolonged steroid use, fracture, RA, osteoporosis, severe vascular disease, malignancy, etc.

2. History of previous surgery to the knee

3. History of physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment, or injections for knee pain in the last 4 weeks

4. History of a surgical procedure on either lower extremity in last 6 months

5. Two or more positive neurologic signs consistent with nerve root compression, including any two of the following:

• Weakness involving a major muscle group of the lower extremity.
• Diminished patella or achilles tendon reflex
• Diminished or absent sensation to pinprick in lower extremity dermatome

6. Involvement in litigation or worker's compensation regarding knee pain.

7. Any condition that might contraindicate the use of electro-needling

8. The patient is pregnant.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Alabama Physical Therapy & Acupuncture

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

James Dunning, DPT, MSc, FAAOMPT

DPT MSc FAAOMPT

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

James Dunning, DPT FAAOMPT

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

American Academy of Manipulative Therapy

Locations

Alabama Physical Therapy & Acupuncture

Montgomery, Alabama, United States

Countries

United States

References

Dunning J, Butts R, Young I, Mourad F, Galante V, Bliton P, Tanner M, Fernandez-de-Las-Penas C. Periosteal Electrical Dry Needling as an Adjunct to Exercise and Manual Therapy for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial. Clin J Pain. 2018 Dec;34(12):1149-1158. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000634.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 29864043 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

AAMT0003

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id