Physiotherapy with and without Superficial Dry Needling Affects Pain and Muscle Strength in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Objectives: To investigate the clinical efficacy of physiotherapy with and without superficial&nbsp;dry needling on patients with knee pain; patellofemoral pain syndrome. Methods: A randomized clinical trial conducted in 2015, Tehran, Iran. Of patients with&nbsp;patellofemoral pain syndrome, thirty-four subjects were randomly divided into two groups (17&nbsp;in each group). Group A was subjected to physiotherapy and group B to physiotherapy with&nbsp;superficial dry needling. Only for group B, superficial dry needling was applied during the&nbsp;ten-day sessions of physiotherapy, every other day. The needle remained for 6 minutes at threepoints&nbsp;of the quadriceps muscle, accompanied with needle rotation. Both groups received 10&nbsp;therapy sessions. For both groups, in the first and tenth sessions, knee pain and quadriceps&nbsp;muscle strength was evaluated. Results: Statistical analysis showed the two variables in each group had significant&nbsp;improvements after the 10 sessions (P<0.05). Comparing the two groups, group B showed&nbsp;more pain reduction based on the visual analog scale (P<0.05). However, according to manual&nbsp;muscle testing method, the muscle strength between both the groups showed no significant difference (P<0.156). Discussion: Physiotherapy with and without superficial dry needling were seen to reduce&nbsp;pain and increase muscle strength of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. However,&nbsp;performing physiotherapy with superficial dry needling had a more significant effect on&nbsp;reducing knee pain. Superficial needling can cause many physiological and neurophysiological&nbsp;effects. Through stimulation of pain control mechanisms, it can help in further reduction of&nbsp;pain.