Muscle Position and Dry Needling Efficacy

Currently, no previous studies have investigated how the position of a muscle before dryneedling may influence the outcome and effectiveness of the treatment.This study aims to demonstrate whether the position of the upper trapezius muscle duringdry needling treatment influences the outcome of that treatment in subjects with neckpain.A total of 46 participants with chronic neck pain will be recruited and randomly assignedto two groups: a dry needling group with the muscle in a stretched position and a dryneedling group with the muscle in a shortened position. A total of two treatment sessionswill be performed, separated by a 7‐day interval. The primary outcome measure will be theintensity of neck and head pain, measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Othervariables to be measured include the cervical disability index, kinesiophobia, andcatastrophizing (using a self‐completion questionnaire), as well as participants'expectations and post‐needling pain.