| Dry Needling versus Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis |
| Paper ID : 1012-ISCSR3 (R2) |
| Authors |
|
Ahmed Ibrahim Rashad *, Mina Atif Melika, Nancy Mahmoud Youssef, Yasmin Safwat Abdalmageed, Yomna Mohamed Ezzeldin Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University |
| Abstract |
| Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent and disabling conditions that involve increased pain and reduced function. Objective: The aim of the study is to compare the effectiveness of dry needling (DN) versus extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in reducing pain and improving function in patients with musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized clinical trials published up to August 2024 .The main outcome variables were function (reported using the Neck Disability Index and Foot Function Index) and pain (reported using the visual analogue scale). Pain Pressure Threshold was a secondary outcome. Quality assessment was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and the quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE tool. The inverse variance method was used for meta-analysis and the I2 statistic was employed to explore heterogeneity. Results: Eight trials, encompassing 374 participants, were included in this review. The trials involved participants diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome of the trapezius, plantar fasciitis, and iliotibial band syndrome. After three sessions of treatment, no significant difference between DN and ESWT was observed regarding pain intensity (SMD = -0.21, CI: -0.53 to 0.11, P = 0.2). However, subgroup analysis according to the diagnosis revealed differences favoring DN in pain alleviation of iliotibial band syndrome (SMD = -0.80, CI: -1.45 to -0.15, P = 0.02) and plantar fasciitis (MD = -1.2, CI: -2.03 to -0.37, P = 0.005) at one month of follow-up. The evidence was graded as low to very-low quality due to imprecision and risk of bias. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that there is no superiority of DN over ESWT at improving pain and function in musculoskeletal disorders at the end of treatment. However, due to the low to very low quality of evidence, higher quality randomized trials are needed. |
| Keywords |
| "Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy", "Dry Needling", "Musculoskeletal" |
| Status: Abstract Accepted |