The effect of dry needling on the active trigger point of upper trapezius muscle: Eliciting local twitch response on long-term clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND: Pain from myofascial trigger points is often treated by dry needling (DN). Empirical evidence suggests eliciting a local twitch response (LTR) during needling is essential. Muscle damage after eliciting LTR can increase the risk of tissue fibrosis in some cases. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare two methods of DN including with and without LTR on clinical parameters. METHODS: Twenty-six participants suffering from chronic non-specific neck pain with an active trigger point (TrP) in their upper trapezius muscles were recruited via the convenience sampling method. Participants were randomly assigned in DN with LTR (control group) and without eliciting LTR or "de qi" (experimental group). Then, they received 3 sessions of dry needling, 3 days apart. We evaluated pain, pain pressure threshold, active cervical lateral flexion range of motion, and Neck Disability Index before the intervention and 4 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: After the treatment, significant higher changes were seen in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05) regarding pain, pain pressure threshold, and active cervical lateral flexion. However, there was no significant difference between groups according to the disability (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: DN without eliciting LTR has superiority over the DN along with eliciting LTR while the treatment aimed to receive long-term effects.