Table 4.
Characteristics of studies using dry needling for the treatment of triceps spasticity after stroke.
| Author | Sample | Intervention and dosage | Comparator | Outcomes |
Follow-up (months) |
Within group difference (over time) |
Between group difference after treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghannadi et al. (43) (RCT) | 24 (12/12 IG/CG) patients with spasticity for at least 6 months (MMAS > 1) | Dry needling with fast-in and fast-out technique in the gastrocnemius 3 sessions in a week |
CG: Sham dry needling with blunt needle | MMAS TUG, Single Leg Stance (SLS), 10 MWT, Barthel Index (BI), aROM, pROM, Pennation Angle (PA), Muscle Thickness (MT) |
1 | IG: MMAS, TUG, 10 MWT, PA, MT ↓
pROM, SLS, BI ↑ aROM ↔ CG: MMAS, TUG, 10 MWT, PA, MT, pROM, aROM, SLS, BI ↔ |
MMAS, TUG, SLS, 10 MWT, BI, pROM, PA, MT† |
| Hadi et al. (46) | 6 patients with spasticity for at least 6 months (MMAS ≥ 1) | Dry needling in the gastrocnemii and in the soleus One single session |
n.a. | MMAS TUG, Muscle Thickness (MT), Pennation Angle (PA), Fascicle Length (FL) |
n.a. | MMAS, TUG, MT, PA ↓
FL ↑ |
n.a. |
| Sànchez-Mila et al. (47) (RCT) | 26 (14/12 IG/CG) patients with spasticity | Dry needling with fast-in and fast-out technique in the tibialis posterior + Bobath approach One single session |
CG: Bobath approach | MMAS FMA, LoS test |
n.a. | IG: MMAS ↓
FMABalance, FMASensory, FMARoM ↑ FMALowEx, FMAJointPain, LoS test ↔ CG: MMAS ↓ FMA, LoS test ↔ |
MMAS, FMABalance, Sensory, RoM† |
| Calvo et al. (44) | 1 patient with spasticity for 30 months | Dry needling in the gastrocnemius One single session |
n.a. | Maximal radial muscle displacement | 3 | Maximal radial muscle displacement ↑ | n.a. |
| Salom-Moreno et al. (45) (RCT) | 34 (17/17 IG/CG) patients with spasticity | Dry needling with fast-in and fast-out techniques in the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior One single session |
CG: No intervention | MMAS Pressure Pain Thresholds (PPT), Baropodometric values |
n.a. | IG: MMAS ↓
PPT ↑ CG: MMAS, PPT ↔ |
MMAS, PPT† |
| Fink et al. (48) (RCT) | 25 (13/12 IG/CG) with spasticity for at least 7 months | Dry needling in acupuncture points Two times a week, for 1 month |
CG: Sham needles placed in non-acupoints | MAS aROM, pROM, 2 MWT, H-reflex, H/M ratio |
n.a. | IG: MAS, aROM, pROM, 2MWT ↔
H/M ratio ↓ CG: MAS, aROM, pROM, 2MWT ↔ H/M ratio ↓ |
H/M ratio† |
↑
Statistically significant increase.
↓
Statistically significant decrease.
↔
No statistical difference.
†
IG overcomes comparator.
IG, Intervention Group; CG, Control Group; n.a. not available; RCT, Randomized Controlled Trial; MMAS, Modified Modified Ashworth Scale; TUG, Timed Up and Go; 10MWT, 10-m Walking Test; aROM, active Range of Motion; pROM, passive Range of Motion; PA, Pennation Angle; MT, Muscle Thickness; SLS, Single Leg Stance; BI, Barthel Index; FL, Fascicle Length; FMA, Fugl-Meyer Assessment; LoS, Limits of Stability test; MD, Maximal Displacement; PPT, Pressure Pain Thresholds; 2MWT, 2-m Walking Test.