Evaluation of Dry Needling Therapy in Chronic Lumbosacral Pain

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dry needling (DNT) as an adjunctive
therapy in reducing pain, improving function, and quality of life in patients with chronic
lumbosacral pain.
Material and methods: A total of 35 patients with chronic lumbosacral pain
(LSP), radiating along the sciatic nerve, and with impaired sensorimotor function were
studied, divided into two groups: Group K – control (n=15, 9 men and 6 women) and
Group E – experimental (n=20, 11 men and 9 women). All patients were treated with
classical therapeutic massage of the lumbosacral region and a complex of physical
exercises, and those from Group E additionally by placing dry needles in the most
painful muscle trigger points (TP) and along the sciatic nerve. To assess the effect
of physiotherapy, all subjects were examined before and after treatment about: pain
intensity on a visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM) by goniometry,
and muscle strength in hip flexion and extension by dynamometry, and the overall
subjective assessment by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ).
Results: All patients improved significantly but those from the experimental group
more pronounced regarding: pain intensity by 1.12 points on the VAS; ROM in the
hip joint goniometrically by 9.02 degrees in flexion and by 3.5 degrees in extension;
and the overall subjective assessment of the therapeutic course by RMDQ; but not
significantly for leg muscle strength in hip joint.
Conclusion: Both therapeutic approaches reliably reduce pain and improve mobility
in patients with chronic lumbosacral pain syndrome, but the additional application of
DNT to classical therapeutic massage and physical exercises to increase leg muscle
strength significantly enhances the effect of the standard intervention and reliably
increases the therapeutic effect by significantly reducing pain symptoms, increasing
mobility and functionality of the lower back and limb.