Electrical Dry Needling Versus Iontophoresis in Treating Chronic Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis

NCT ID: NCT06578663

Last Updated: 2025-07-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-06-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-06-01

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effects of electrical dry needling versus glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis on pain intensity level, functional ability, and knee range of motion in chronic unilateral knee osteoarthritis patients.

Detailed Description

Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease affecting 240 million people worldwide, with a higher prevalence in older adults. The disease leads to knee deformity, laxity, and ligament instability. Dry needling, a new treatment modality, uses needle electrodes to deliver an electric current to the pain-generating trigger point, improving the physiological effects and analgesic and anesthetic effects. Iontophoresis, a safer method of drug therapy, has shown to be more effective in pain reduction in knee osteoarthritic patients. The study aims to investigate the effect of electrical dry needling versus glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis on pain intensity level, knee function, and range of motion (ROM) in chronic knee OA patients. This approach aims to maximize drug bioavailability, optimize therapeutic efficacy, and minimize side effects.

Conditions

Osteoarthritis of Knee

Study Design

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

Study Groups

conventional program

will receive conventional physical therapy, including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and an exercise therapy program (stretching exercises, both hip and knee strengthening, balance, and stability exercise)

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

conventional physical therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and an exercise therapy program (stretching exercises, both hip and knee strengthening, balance, and stability exercise)

dry needling and conventional program

will receive conventional physical therapy, plus electrical dry needling.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

conventional physical therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and an exercise therapy program (stretching exercises, both hip and knee strengthening, balance, and stability exercise)

Electrical Dry Needling

Intervention Type: OTHER

In electrical dry needling, needle electrodes are used to deliver an electric current to the taut muscle band or the pain-generating trigger point. Low-frequency currents are thought to improve the physiological effects of the therapy by using electrical stimulation to enhance certain physiological reactions and achieve a speedier analgesic and anesthetic effect than that obtained with standard dry needling.

Glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis and conventional program

will receive conventional physical therapy, plus Glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

conventional physical therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and an exercise therapy program (stretching exercises, both hip and knee strengthening, balance, and stability exercise)

Glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis

Intervention Type: OTHER

Galvanic current mode will be used to deliver the cream through the skin. One gram of GS will be placed on positive electrode (being positively charged using Trans-arthral electrode placement technique) for administration of Iontophoresis \[40mA-min (2mA x 20minutes)\].

Interventions

conventional physical therapy

including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and an exercise therapy program (stretching exercises, both hip and knee strengthening, balance, and stability exercise)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Electrical Dry Needling

In electrical dry needling, needle electrodes are used to deliver an electric current to the taut muscle band or the pain-generating trigger point. Low-frequency currents are thought to improve the physiological effects of the therapy by using electrical stimulation to enhance certain physiological reactions and achieve a speedier analgesic and anesthetic effect than that obtained with standard dry needling.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Glucosamine sulfate iontophoresis

Galvanic current mode will be used to deliver the cream through the skin. One gram of GS will be placed on positive electrode (being positively charged using Trans-arthral electrode placement technique) for administration of Iontophoresis \[40mA-min (2mA x 20minutes)\].

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. The patient will be selected from the outpatient clinic of physical therapy at Horus University, New Damietta, Egypt, diagnosed with a Kellgren/Lawrence grade 2,3 radiological severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA). and referred by an orthopedist.

2. Age will range from 40 to 60 years.

3. Body mass index will range from 25 to 29.9 kg/m2.

4. Duration of knee pain not less than 3 months prior to study .

Exclusion Criteria

1. Patients with history of cardiac disorder with pacemaker.

2. Knee surgery.

3. Diabetes and nutritional disorder.

4. Neuromuscular and other musculoskeletal diseases.

5. Any red flags to dry needling, or conventional therapy.

6. Had received physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic, or intra-articular injections for the painful knee in the last 3 months.

7. Presented with positive neurological signs.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Horus University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ahmed Fayez Zehiry

lecturer assistant

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

out-patient clinic, faculty of physical therapy, Horus university

Damietta, , Egypt

Countries

Egypt

Other Identifiers

Horus_Phd_2024

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id