Additional Effects of Dry Needling With PNF on Spasticity and Functional Performance in Stroke

NCT ID: NCT07013942

Last Updated: 2025-06-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-09-12
• Study Completion Date: 2025-04-15

Brief Summary

Stroke is a prevalent cause of long-term disability, with a rising global incidence. Stroke patients commonly experience impaired balance and trunk control, which limits their daily activities and quality of life. Spasticity is the result of upper motor neuron lesion in which the reflex arc is spared, however there is a lesion to the descending pathways of the spinal cord, which leads to the hyper excitability of the alpha motor neurons. Spasticity is a form of velocity dependent hypertonia. When dry needle is applied it induces relaxation in the muscle by increasing the distance between the z lines in the sarcomere and reduces the overlapping of contractile proteins, which ultimately leads to relaxation in the muscle. Dry needling also reduces the firing of the afferent pathways from the local muscle to the spinal cord reducing the excitability of the alpha motor neurons this leads to reduce spasticity. A randomized control trial will be conducted in multidisciplinary lab of FUCP, department of physical medicine and rehabilitation of Fauji Foundation Hospital on the sample of 30 participants. The subjects will be randomized into two groups by sealed opaque envelope method. A treatment over the course of 6 weeks will be provided. Interventional group will be receiving dry needling in addition to Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation while the control group will receive sham needling in addition to Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. Exercise training would be done for a total of 6 weeks, with needling twice a week, the session will last 30- 50 minutes. Using SPSS version 21 would do analysis. Ethical approval will be obtained from ERC of FUSH. Informed written consent will be obtained from all participants.

Detailed Description

• To determine the effects of balance training with and without gaze stability exercises on mobility in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. To determine the additional effects of dry needling with Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in comparison to sham needling with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation on spasticity in stroke.
• To determine the effects of dry needling with Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques in comparison to sham needling with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation on functional performance in stroke

Conditions

Spasticity; Dry Needling; Functional Performance

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Dry needling group

This group will receive dry needling twice a week along with gait training, functional training. the aim of this is to reduce spasticity with the help of dry needling with will aid in the improvement by increasing the functionality of the affected limb. Dry needling will be performed twice a week along with the exercise program

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Dry Needling Group

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Group A, which will be considered the interventional group. This group will be receiving the dry needling along with the PNF techniques for spasticity and functional performance.

Sham needling group

This group focuses on elimination or accounting the placebo effect that may surround the concept of dry needling, this group doesn't really receive dry needling however the illusion is created in addition to the functional training gait training that the patient is receiving, sham needling will be done twice a week along with the exercise program

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Sham Needling Group

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Group B, which will be considered the control group. This group will be receiving sham needling in addition to the PNF techniques for spasticity and the functional performance

Interventions

Dry Needling Group

Group A, which will be considered the interventional group. This group will be receiving the dry needling along with the PNF techniques for spasticity and functional performance.

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Sham Needling Group

Group B, which will be considered the control group. This group will be receiving sham needling in addition to the PNF techniques for spasticity and the functional performance

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 years to 65 years of age.
• Males and females
• Post stroke spasticity
• Ischemic stroke

Exclusion Criteria

• Non-compliant Diabetic patients
• Active Hypertensive patients
• Immuno compromised patients
• Patients with underlying infections
• Patients with autoimmune diseases
• Patients that have any contagious conditions

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

Sponsors

Foundation University Islamabad

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Foundation University College of Physical Therapy

Islamabad, , Pakistan

Countries

Pakistan

Other Identifiers

FUI/CTR/2025/80

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id