N/A
N=39
Effectiveness of Dry Needling and Physical Therapy Versus Physical Therapy Alone Following Shoulder Stabilization Repair
Shoulder Pain
Bottom Line
View on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02704975 ↗Enrolled (actual)
39
Serious AEs
0.0%
Results posted
Nov 2025
Primary outcome: Primary: Shoulder Flexion Passive Range of Movement (PROM) — 153.9; 153.2; 164.5; 165.2 degrees
Study Design & Population
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- N/A
- Interventions
- Rehabilitation and Dry Needling (Device); Rehabilitation (Device)
- Age
- Adult · 18+ yrs
- Sex
- All
- Sponsor
- Keller Army Community Hospital
- Primary completion
- Dec 2017
Outcome Measures
| Outcome | Result | p-value |
|---|---|---|
| PRIMARY Shoulder Flexion Passive Range of Movement (PROM) |
153.9; 153.2; 164.5; 165.2; 171.02; 178.7 | — |
| PRIMARY Shoulder External Rotation PROM at 8 Weeks |
50.05; 51.50; 64.4; 66.0; 77.97; 82.13 | — |
| PRIMARY Shoulder Internal Rotation (IR) PROM |
57.3; 55; 68.9; 63.8; 71.92; 66.13 | — |
| PRIMARY Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) |
2.2; 1.8; 1.07; 1.45; 1.52; 0.90 | — |
| SECONDARY Global Rating of Change |
5.32; 5.50; 5.58; 5.95; 5.48; 6.6 | — |
| SECONDARY Patient Specific Functional Scale |
5.78; 6.47; 6.91; 7.79; 8.63; 9.21 | — |
| SECONDARY Shoulder Pain and Disability Index Functional Outcome Measure |
19.3; 18.1; 10.87; 8.0; 6.29; 1.96 | — |
Summary
The purpose of this single-blinded, randomized clinical trial is to determine the effectiveness of dry needling compared to a standard shoulder rehabilitation program on range of motion, functional movement, and pain in patients who have undergone shoulder stabilization surgery. Measurements of the aforementioned dependent variables will be taken at time intervals of four weeks, eight weeks, 12 weeks, and six months post-operatively. It is hypothesized that the inclusion of dry needling will result in an increase in range of motion, increase in functional movement, and decrease in pain at an accelerated rate when compared to rehabilitation alone.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- 18-40 yo DOD Beneficiaries
- Status Post Shoulder Stabilization Repair Surgery
Exclusion Criteria
- Self-Reported Pregnancy
- History of blood borne pathogens/infectious disease/active infection/metal allergy
- Bleeding disorders or currently taking anti-coagulant medications
- Participants who are not fluent in English
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02704975). Outcome figures and adverse-event rates are extracted automatically from the registry's posted results and are provided for clinician reference, not as a substitute for the primary publication.