Low Back PainNCT02312895
Comparing Dry Needling to Manual Therapy for Patients With Mechanical Low Back Pain
A study testing Manual therapy, Dry needling and Home Exercise Program in people with Low Back Pain, run by Youngstown State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This is a comparative study to determine if there is a difference in pain reduction and disability between dry needling and manual therapy for patients with low back pain. Subjects will be seen two times per week for 3 weeks (6 visits) and will receive either dry needling or manual mobilizations along with patient… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Low Back Pain
- What is being tested?
- Manual therapy, Dry needling and Home Exercise Program
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 73 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Dec 2014to Aug 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 70 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- There will be 72 subjects participating in this study that present with mechanical low back pain, ranging from 18-70 years old. The 72 subjects includes a 20% attrition rate 12 additional subjects. The total needed for analysis is 60 subjects, 30 per group.
Who cannot join
- Subjects will be excluded if the examining therapist cannot provoke either active or latent MTrPs of the subject's low back muscles and/or elicit symptoms with manual passive movement of the spine at the joints of the low back. Exclusion criteria will also consist of the presence of any red flags revealed in the patient history (i.e., tumor, metabolic diseases, RA, osteoporosis, prolonged history of steroid use, prior lumbar surgery, current pregnancy, etc.) or examination (i.e. signs consistent with significant nerve root compression). Subjects will be excluded if they demonstrate signs of Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), are currently seeking litigation, are unable to speak English, and/or have been diagnosed with a condition that can cause prolonged MTrPs such as fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, or iron deficiency. In addition, no patients who have a transmittable blood disease will be included.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Use of Dry Needling to Manual Therapy for Patients With Mechanical Low Back Pain.
This is a comparative study to determine if there is a difference in pain reduction and disability between dry needling and manual therapy for patients with low back pain. Subjects will be seen two times per week for 3 weeks (6 visits) and will receive either dry needling or manual mobilizations along with patient education and a home exercise program.
Read the detailed description
Procedures:
Subjects will sign the informed consent prior to any examination procedures. Eligibility assessment will be performed by the treating physical therapist and will include the subject filling out the demographic / health history questionnaire, outcome measures, and a clinical examination. The treating physical therapist will use 2 components of the examination for eligibility criteria into the study. The treating therapist will press on the subject's joints in their back to try to elicit their chief complaint. The treating physical therapist will also press on the soft tissue of the subject's back to check for any symptomatic points. A symptomatic point would include recreation of their chief complaint, tenderness, hypersensitivity, or referred pain. The treating physical therapist will then draw an X on the patient's back where the most symptomatic tissue exists. This point will be used by the data collecting physical therapist in order to collect pain pressure threshold of the area.
The data collecting physical therapist will have the subject complete an Oswestry Disability Index(ODI), gather a measure of the pain from the patient ,and the pain pressure threshold. Each subject will then be allocated to either the manual therapy group or the dry needling group.
Once a subject is assigned to a group, they will receive either dry needling or manual therapy mobilizations by the treating therapist. Each subject will remain in the assigned group as long as they are continuing in the study up to 3 weeks. In addition to the treatments under investigation, a standardized home exercise program will be assigned to each of the subjects by the treating physical therapist. This program will be given to and reviewed with each subject to ensure they understand the exercises and will perform the exercise program 1x/day for the duration they are under the care of the physical therapist for the study. Subjects will be treated on day 1 of their plan of care and subsequent treatments will occur 2x/week for a total of 3 weeks, unless discharge occurs earlier than the 3 week data point. Early discharge will occur if the subject achieves resolution of symptoms or if they decide they no longer wish to be a research participant.
Subsequent sessions will involve the collection of outcome data by the data-collecting therapist followed by treatment performed by the treating physical therapist. No adjustments will be made to the treatment protocol in any of the sessions. Subjects will only be scheduled with and treated by the same treating physical therapist each session. In the event that a treating physical therapist is unable to see a subject participating in the study, the subject will be rescheduled for a different time to receive care.
- Conditions
- Low Back Pain
- Being tested
- Manual therapy, Dry needling, Home Exercise Program
- Medical subject headings
- Low Back Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Manual therapyOther
The therapist will locate the involved segment using passive accessory intervertebral movements. The segment will be localized to the level, which provokes the patient's symptoms most easily, and this segment will be determined to be the involved level. Once this level has been identified, the therapist will compare central glides over the spinous process or a unilateral glide over the facet joint to determine which is more provocative. Whichever is most provocative will be the location of the treatment. The therapist will provide 3 bouts lasting 45 seconds just easing into the patient's symptoms at the most provocative level with approximately 45 seconds rest between each bout.
Dry needlingOther
Dry needling involves inserting a dry, mono-filament needle through the skin and into an area of symptomatic soft tissue. The two-inch needles will be placed segmentally and into the lower extremities following peripheral nerve patterning by the treating physical therapist. Following initial penetration into the skin over the tender area, the therapist carefully advances the needle into the tissue below the skin. After the needle has reached the desired depth, the therapist will insert the subsequent needles. Needles will be placed along the segmental levels of the lumbar spine above and below the tender area identified and into the lower extremity in areas that correlate with a peripheral nerve map. Needles will remain in the tissue for up to 5 minutes, removed, and appropriately disposed of.
Home Exercise ProgramOther
A home exercise program will be given to each subject to be completed in the clinic and at home 1x/day. The exercises will consist of active range of motion exercises and core stabilization exercises. The program is standardized for all subjects.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Needling | Experimental | A total of 30 subjects will be randomized to this experimental arm. If randomized to this arm, subjects will receive dry needling, patient education, and a home exercise program. Receives: Other: Dry needling; Other: Home Exercise Program |
| Manual Therapy | Experimental | A total of 30 subjects will be randomized to this experimental arm. If randomized to this arm, subjects will receive manual therapy, patient education, and a home exercise program. Receives: Other: Manual therapy; Other: Home Exercise Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Oswestry Disability Index (change over time)
The ODI is a ten question self report measure that assesses the impact of the patient's pain on their ability to perform everyday activities and is currently considered the gold standard for measuring degree of disability and estimating quality of life in a person with low back pain.
Measured: The ODI will be recorded at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, and discharge/3 weeks.
Secondary outcomes (4)
Numerical Pain Rating Scale (change over time)
The patient is asked to rate their level of pain on an 11-point numerical scale 0-10 with 0 being "no pain" and 10 being the "worst possible pain." Pain will be recorded one additional time after the initial treatment session.
Measured: The NPRS will be recorded at baseline, immediately following treatment, at 1 week, 2 weeks, and discharge/3 weeks.
Pain pressure threshold (change over time)
PPT will be measured as described above using an algometer to the identified MTrPs. An algometer is an instrument that detects sensitivity to pressure. The force gauge algometer is placed on the area of a patient's identified MTrP. Pressure is gradually increased until the person perceives a noxious sensation. The amount of pressure at the point of pain is recorded then repeated and and PPT will be performed twice each time, and the measures will be averaged together for data analysis. PPT will be collected one additional time post treatment session 1.
Measured: The NPRS will be recorded at baseline, immediately following treatment, at 1 week, 2 weeks, and discharge/3 weeks.
Percentage of recovery (one time assessment at the end of the 3 weeks)
A global percentage of improvement is a measure of the patient's perception of the change in their condition. It will be recorded at discharge by asking the subject what percent better they believe their low back problem is compared to when they entered the study.
Measured: 3 weeks or Discharge
Patient Specific Functional Scale Score
The PSFS is a patient identified self-report questionnaire that measures general activity limitations. The scale ranges from 0 (unable to perform) to 10 (able to perform the activity at the level prior to injury). The patient reports 3 activities and rates each activity from 0 to 10, which are averaged for a composite score.
Measured: PSFS score collected at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks or discharge
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Dec 2014 (estimated)
- Study startDec 2014
- Primary completionAug 2018
- Study completionAug 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Low Back PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Youngstown State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Ken Learman, PhD, Principal investigator, FacultyDavid W Griswold, Doctorate, Principal investigator, Faculty
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02312895
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 159-14
- Status last verified
- Sep 2018
- First submitted
- 24 Nov 2014
- Last updated
- 17 Sep 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Furlan AD, van Tulder M, Cherkin D, Tsukayama H, Lao L, Koes B, Berman B. Acupuncture and dry-needling for low back pain: an updated systematic review within the framework of the cochrane collaboration. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2005 Apr 15;30(8):944-63. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000158941.21571.01.
PubMed 15834340Ziaeifar M, Arab AM, Karimi N, Nourbakhsh MR. The effect of dry needling on pain, pressure pain threshold and disability in patients with a myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2014 Apr;18(2):298-305. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.11.004. Epub 2013 Nov 9.
PubMed 24725800Cook C, Learman K, Showalter C, Kabbaz V, O'Halloran B. Early use of thrust manipulation versus non-thrust manipulation: a randomized clinical trial. Man Ther. 2013 Jun;18(3):191-8. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2012.08.005. Epub 2012 Oct 2.
PubMed 23040656
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Sep 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Use of Dry Needling to Manual Therapy for Patients With Mechanical Low Back Pain.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02312895
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 159-14
- Conditions
- Low Back Pain
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Youngstown State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Dec 2014 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Aug 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- Aug 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Dec 2014 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a comparative study to determine if there is a difference in pain reduction and disability between dry needling and manual therapy for patients with low back pain. Subjects will be seen two times per week for 3 weeks (6 visits) and will receive either dry needling or manual mobilizations along with patient education and a home exercise program.
Detailed description
Procedures:
Subjects will sign the informed consent prior to any examination procedures. Eligibility assessment will be performed by the treating physical therapist and will include the subject filling out the demographic / health history questionnaire, outcome measures, and a clinical examination. The treating physical therapist will use 2 components of the examination for eligibility criteria into the study. The treating therapist will press on the subject's joints in their back to try to elicit their chief complaint. The treating physical therapist will also press on the soft tissue of the subject's back to check for any symptomatic points. A symptomatic point would include recreation of their chief complaint, tenderness, hypersensitivity, or referred pain. The treating physical therapist will then draw an X on the patient's back where the most symptomatic tissue exists. This point will be used by the data collecting physical therapist in order to collect pain pressure threshold of the area.
The data collecting physical therapist will have the subject complete an Oswestry Disability Index(ODI), gather a measure of the pain from the patient ,and the pain pressure threshold. Each subject will then be allocated to either the manual therapy group or the dry needling group.
Once a subject is assigned to a group, they will receive either dry needling or manual therapy mobilizations by the treating therapist. Each subject will remain in the assigned group as long as they are continuing in the study up to 3 weeks. In addition to the treatments under investigation, a standardized home exercise program will be assigned to each of the subjects by the treating physical therapist. This program will be given to and reviewed with each subject to ensure they understand the exercises and will perform the exercise program 1x/day for the duration they are under the care of the physical therapist for the study. Subjects will be treated on day 1 of their plan of care and subsequent treatments will occur 2x/week for a total of 3 weeks, unless discharge occurs earlier than the 3 week data point. Early discharge will occur if the subject achieves resolution of symptoms or if they decide they no longer wish to be a research participant.
Subsequent sessions will involve the collection of outcome data by the data-collecting therapist followed by treatment performed by the treating physical therapist. No adjustments will be made to the treatment protocol in any of the sessions. Subjects will only be scheduled with and treated by the same treating physical therapist each session. In the event that a treating physical therapist is unable to see a subject participating in the study, the subject will be rescheduled for a different time to receive care.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Needling | Experimental | Other: Dry needling, Other: Home Exercise ProgramA total of 30 subjects will be randomized to this experimental arm. If randomized to this arm, subjects will receive dry needling, patient education, and a home exercise program. |
| Manual Therapy | Experimental | Other: Manual therapy, Other: Home Exercise ProgramA total of 30 subjects will be randomized to this experimental arm. If randomized to this arm, subjects will receive manual therapy, patient education, and a home exercise program. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- There will be 72 subjects participating in this study that present with mechanical low back pain, ranging from 18-70 years old. The 72 subjects includes a 20% attrition rate 12 additional subjects. The total needed for analysis is 60 subjects, 30 per group.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Subjects will be excluded if the examining therapist cannot provoke either active or latent MTrPs of the subject's low back muscles and/or elicit symptoms with manual passive movement of the spine at the joints of the low back. Exclusion criteria will also consist of the presence of any red flags revealed in the patient history (i.e., tumor, metabolic diseases, RA, osteoporosis, prolonged history of steroid use, prior lumbar surgery, current pregnancy, etc.) or examination (i.e. signs consistent with significant nerve root compression). Subjects will be excluded if they demonstrate signs of Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), are currently seeking litigation, are unable to speak English, and/or have been diagnosed with a condition that can cause prolonged MTrPs such as fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, or iron deficiency. In addition, no patients who have a transmittable blood disease will be included.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Manual therapyThe therapist will locate the involved segment using passive accessory intervertebral movements. The segment will be localized to the level, which provokes the patient's symptoms most easily, and this segment will be determined to be the involved level. Once this level has been identified, the therapist will compare central glides over the spinous process or a unilateral glide over the facet joint to determine which is more provocative. Whichever is most provocative will be the location of the treatment. The therapist will provide 3 bouts lasting 45 seconds just easing into the patient's symptoms at the most provocative level with approximately 45 seconds rest between each bout. | Other | Manual Therapy |
| Dry needlingDry needling involves inserting a dry, mono-filament needle through the skin and into an area of symptomatic soft tissue. The two-inch needles will be placed segmentally and into the lower extremities following peripheral nerve patterning by the treating physical therapist. Following initial penetration into the skin over the tender area, the therapist carefully advances the needle into the tissue below the skin. After the needle has reached the desired depth, the therapist will insert the subsequent needles. Needles will be placed along the segmental levels of the lumbar spine above and below the tender area identified and into the lower extremity in areas that correlate with a peripheral nerve map. Needles will remain in the tissue for up to 5 minutes, removed, and appropriately disposed of. | Other | Dry Needling |
| Home Exercise ProgramA home exercise program will be given to each subject to be completed in the clinic and at home 1x/day. The exercises will consist of active range of motion exercises and core stabilization exercises. The program is standardized for all subjects. | Other | Dry Needling, Manual Therapy |
Primary outcome
Oswestry Disability Index (change over time)
Time frame: The ODI will be recorded at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, and discharge/3 weeks.
The ODI is a ten question self report measure that assesses the impact of the patient's pain on their ability to perform everyday activities and is currently considered the gold standard for measuring degree of disability and estimating quality of life in a person with low back pain.
4 secondary outcomes
Numerical Pain Rating Scale (change over time)
Time frame: The NPRS will be recorded at baseline, immediately following treatment, at 1 week, 2 weeks, and discharge/3 weeks.
Pain pressure threshold (change over time)
Time frame: The NPRS will be recorded at baseline, immediately following treatment, at 1 week, 2 weeks, and discharge/3 weeks.
Percentage of recovery (one time assessment at the end of the 3 weeks)
Time frame: 3 weeks or Discharge
Patient Specific Functional Scale Score
Time frame: PSFS score collected at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks or discharge
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Sep 2018.
- Background: PubMed 15834340Furlan AD, van Tulder M, Cherkin D, Tsukayama H, Lao L, Koes B, Berman B. Acupuncture and dry-needling for low back pain: an updated systematic review within the framework of the cochrane collaboration. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2005 Apr 15;30(8):944-63. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000158941.21571.01.
- Background: PubMed 24725800Ziaeifar M, Arab AM, Karimi N, Nourbakhsh MR. The effect of dry needling on pain, pressure pain threshold and disability in patients with a myofascial trigger point in the upper trapezius muscle. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2014 Apr;18(2):298-305. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.11.004. Epub 2013 Nov 9.
- Background: PubMed 23040656Cook C, Learman K, Showalter C, Kabbaz V, O'Halloran B. Early use of thrust manipulation versus non-thrust manipulation: a randomized clinical trial. Man Ther. 2013 Jun;18(3):191-8. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2012.08.005. Epub 2012 Oct 2.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Ken Learman, PhD principal investigator
Faculty
David W Griswold, Doctorate principal investigator
Faculty
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Manual therapy, Dry needling and Home Exercise Program in people with Low Back Pain, run by Youngstown State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Sep 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Oswestry Disability Index (change over time) (time frame: The ODI will be recorded at baseline, 1 week, 2 weeks, and discharge/3 weeks.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02312895, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Sep 2018.