Riassunto dello studio

Fifty patients with chronic neck pain were randomized to receive dry needling combined with a standard care protocol (n=17), a sham dry needling procedure with the same standard care protocol (n=16), or the standard care protocol alone (n=17). The primary outcome of interest was pain intensity. Secondary outcomes included pressure pain threshold, neck disability, range of movement, activation of deep cervical flexor muscles, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, anxiety, and depression. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 24 hours post-intervention. Overall, the results of the study revealed that adding dry needling did not significantly improve outcomes compared to the sham procedure or standard care alone, except for a slight improvement in cervical range of motion. These findings suggest that dry needling may not provide additional benefits in the treatment of chronic neck pain when combined with standard care.