Effect of dry needling on submaximal strength and pain in patients with active myofascial trigger points in the rectus femoris: A case series

Abstract

A myofascial trigger point (MTrP) is a hyperirritable area of a skeletal muscle, of nodular appearance on palpation and located in a taut band. One of the techniques for the treatment of MTrP is dry needling (DN). The aim of the present work was to determine whether treatment with DN is effective in terms of pain relief and improvement of muscle weakness. For this purpose, differences in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Brzycki Test were observed before and after treatment of an active MTrP of the rectus femoris. In total, 5 patients received the treatment, of which 80% showed an improvement in pain and an increase in submaximal strength. Although it is not possible to establish a causal relationship, the results appear consistent with our hypothesis that DN is able to generally improve the symptoms of pain and weakness that appeared in patients.

Keywords

myofascial trigger point - dry needling - femoral rectus

• References

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