Dry Needling Versus Kinesiotaping for Upper Trapezius Trigger Points: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Myofascial pain syndrome involving the upper trapezius is a common musculoskeletal problem in adult males and is frequently associated with active trigger points, increased pain sensitivity, and changes in muscle structure. Objective: To compare the effects of dry needling and inhibitory Kinesio taping on pressure pain threshold and muscle thickness in males with upper trapezius myofascial pain syndrome. Methodology: This single-blinded randomized controlled trial included 60 male participants presenting with active trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle. Participants were randomly assigned to three equal groups. Group 1 underwent dry needling, Group 2 received inhibitory Kinesio taping, and Group 3 acted as the control group without intervention. Pressure pain threshold was measured using a pressure algometer, while ultrasound imaging was used to determine muscle thickness. Participants were excluded if they had a previous cervical spine surgery, neurological disease, systemic inflammatory condition, bleeding disorder, or were using anticoagulant drugs. Outcomes were recorded at baseline, on the 5th day after intervention, and again on the 10th day. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic and baseline data. Repeated-measure ANOVA was used to examine changes within groups and differences between groups over time. Results: Both the dry needling and inhibitory Kinesio taping groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pressure pain threshold following intervention (p<0.001) and significant reductions in upper trapezius muscle thickness (p<0.05). Both interventions were superior to the control group, which showed no significant changes in either outcome. No statistically significant difference was observed between the two treatment groups. Conclusion: Dry needling and inhibitory Kinesio taping were both beneficial in decreasing pain sensitivity and reducing muscle thickness in males with active trigger points in the upper trapezius. Despite differences in therapeutic approach, both interventions produced comparable clinical effects.
Downloads
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
1. Doğan N, Şengül İ, Akçay-Yalbuzdağ Ş, et al. Kinesio taping versus dry needling in the treatment of myofascial pain of the upper trapezius muscle: A randomized, single blind (evaluator), prospective study. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation 2019; 32(5): 819–27. https://doi.org/10.3233/BMR-181162 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/BMR-181162
2. Aleid AM, Aljabr AA, Aldanyowi SN, et al. Dry needling for mechanical neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Surgical Neurology International 2025; 16: 44. https://doi.org/10.25259/SNI_797_2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25259/SNI_797_2024
3. Bagheri R, Delkhoush TC, Mirmohammadkhani M, et al. Comparison of dry needling and inhibitory kinesio taping in treatment of myofascial pain syndrome of the upper trapezius muscle: a randomized controlled Trial. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2022; 21(1): 23–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2022.01.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2022.01.003
4. Valera-Calero JA, Sánchez-Jorge S, Buffet-García J, et al. Changes in stiffness at active myofascial trigger points of the upper trapezius after dry needling in patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Acupuncture in Medicine: Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society 2023; 41(3): 121–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284221104831 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284221104831
5. Alattar SS, Alzahrani H. Effectiveness of adding dry needling of the upper trapezius muscle to the usual physiotherapy for managing chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial with a 7-week follow-up. Musculoskeletal Science & Practice 2024; 74: 103155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2024.103155 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2024.103155
6. Mahdizadeh M, Bagheri R, Delkhoush TC, et al. The effect of upper trapezius trigger points dry needling on postural control in patients with chronic neck pain. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2024; 40: 1079–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.015
7. García-de la Banda-García R, Cortés-Pérez I, Ibancos-Losada MDR, et al. Effectiveness of dry needling versus manual therapy in myofascial temporomandibular disorders: a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Journal of Personalized Medicine 2023; 13(9): 1415. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13091415 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm13091415
8. Yehoshua I, Rimon O, Reuveni MM, et al. Dry needling for the treatment of acute myofascial pain syndrome in general practitioners' clinics: a cohort study. BMC Primary Care 2022; 23(1): 339. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-022-01951-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-022-01951-0
9. Ghozy S, Dung NM, Morra ME, et al. Efficacy of kinesio taping in treatment of shoulder pain and disability: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Physiotherapy 2020; 107: 176–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2019.12.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2019.12.001
10. Dilek B, Batmaz İ, Sarıyıldız AM, et al. Effectiveness of training about kinesiotaping in myofascial pain syndrome: A prospective, single-blind, randomized-controlled study. Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2021; 67(1): 17–24. https://doi.org/10.5606/tftrd.2021.4258 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5606/tftrd.2021.4258
11. Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Dommerholt J. International consensus on diagnostic criteria and clinical considerations of myofascial trigger points: a Delphi study. Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.) 2018; 19(1): 142–50. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnx207 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnx207
12. Tran L, Makram AM, Makram OM, et al. Efficacy of kinesio taping compared to other treatment modalities in musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Sports Medicine 2023; 31(4): 416–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2021.1989432 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2021.1989432
13. Shah JP, Thaker N, Heimur J, et al. Myofascial trigger points then and now: a historical and scientific perspective. PM & R: The Journal of Injury, Function, and Rehabilitation 2015; 7(7): 746–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.01.024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2015.01.024
14. Öztürk G, Külcü DG, Mesci N, et al. Efficacy of kinesio tape application on pain and muscle strength in patients with myofascial pain syndrome: a placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Physical Therapy Science 2016; 28(4): 1074–79. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.1074 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.1074
15. Dua A, Chang KV. Myofascial pain syndrome. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499882/
16. Kalia V, Rajput P. Research trends in dry needling for neck pain treatment: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Chiropractic Humanities 2024; 31: 33–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.echu.2024.02.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.echu.2024.02.002
17. Luo N, Li R, Fu B, et al. Bibliometric and visual analysis in the field of dry needling for myofascial pain syndrome from 2000 to 2022. Journal of Pain Research 2023; 16: 2461–75. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S417653 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S417653
18. Yasar MF, Yaksi E, Kurul R, et al. Comparison of dry needling and kinesio taping methods in the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome: A single blinded randomised controlled study. International Journal of Clinical Practice 2021; 75(10): e14561. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.14561 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.14561
19. Stieven FF, Ferreira GE, de Araújo FX, et al. Immediate effects of dry needling and myofascial release on local and widespread pressure pain threshold in individuals with active upper trapezius trigger points: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2021; 44(2): 95–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2020.07.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2020.07.003
20. Kietrys DM, Palombaro KM, Azzaretto E, et al. Effectiveness of dry needling for upper-quarter myofascial pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2013; 43(9): 620–34. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2013.4668 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2013.4668
21. Kandeel M, Marzok M, Afzal S, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of kinesio taping for pain management and pressure pain threshold in myofascial pain syndrome. Pain Research & Management 2025: 8881632. https://doi.org/10.1155/prm/8881632 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/prm/8881632
22. Tang CT, Song B. Acupuncture and dry needling for sports performance and recovery. Current Sports Medicine Reports 2022; 21(6): 213–18. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000968 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000968
23. Olaniszyn G, Kużdżał A, Kawczyński A, et al. Comparing multiple versus sustained insertion dry needling therapy for myofascial neck pain: A randomized controlled trial. Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine 2025; 49(4): 208–25. https://doi.org/10.5535/arm.250052 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5535/arm.250052
24. Kużdżał A, Trybulski R, Muracki J, et al. Dry needling in sports and sport recovery: A systematic review with an evidence gap map. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) 2025; 55(4): 811–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02175-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02175-9
25. Sánchez-Infante J, Bravo-Sánchez A, Jiménez F, et al. Effects of dry needling on muscle stiffness in latent myofascial trigger points: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Pain 2021; 22(7): 817–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2021.02.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2021.02.004