Dry Needling and Multiple Sclerosis
Dry Needling for the management of Multiple Sclerosis
Dr. Jennifer Favinger
Physical Therapist
Improving Scar Tissue Mobility with Dry Needling
Dry Needling for the Management of Multiple Sclerosis and other Neurologic Conditions
Are you or someone you know impacted by multiple sclerosis (MS) or another neurological condition? If so, you’ve likely explored many forms of therapy to address your symptoms. Living with these types of conditions can be a difficult path; one that often has more questions than answers. The impacts that these conditions have on a person and their family is very individualized – your treatment approach should be too!
MS and other neurologic conditions often come with a variety of debilitating symptoms including muscle spasticity, pain, and decreased mobility. While traditional physical therapy approaches offer valuable support, research suggests that dry needling therapy, performed by a qualified physical therapist, may be a powerful addition to the treatment arsenal.
How Can Dry Needling Help?
You may be asking yourself: What is dry needling? And how can it help with a neurologic condition? Let’s take a deeper dive into how it works. Dry needling involves inserting thin, sterile needles into specific trigger points within muscles. These trigger points can contribute to pain, stiffness, and impaired muscle function. While the exact mechanisms of how dry needling works within neurologic conditions remain under investigation, potential benefits include:
- Neuromodulation and improved pain perception: Dry needling can reprogram pain pathways in the central nervous system altering our perception of pain and improving muscle activity. Additionally, dry needling may trigger the release of endorphins, natural pain-relieving chemicals, further contributing to symptom management.
- Reduced muscle tension and spasticity: Dry needling is thought to deactivate the overactive motor neurons contributing to increased muscle tone and spasticity, leading to improved muscle relaxation and movement.
- Enhanced blood circulation: The insertion and manipulation of the needles can improve blood flow to the targeted area, promoting healing and tissue repair.
- Fascial release: Dry needling may help soften and release restrictions within the fascial network surrounding the muscles, potentially improving mobility.
- Sensorimotor Dysfunction: Some evidence suggests dry needling can improve sensory and motor function in conditions like stroke and incomplete spinal cord injury. More research is needed to explore its benefits for specific neurological conditions.
Dry Needling for Multiple Sclerosis
Dry needling for neurologic conditions has been a rising topic of research – particularly for MS. Several research studies have investigated the effectiveness of dry needling for managing MS symptoms. Let’s take a closer look at what the evidence tells us.
A recent systematic review published in 2023 in Exploration of Neuroprotective Therapy analyzed 7 high quality research studies looking at the effects of dry needling theapy in individuals with MS. The researches concluded that studies support that dry needling treatments alone or in a combination with other treatments is effective in improving pain, spasticity, range of motion, dexterity, mobility, limb function, and quality of life in individuals living with MS. Only 7 of the 133 studies pulled met the requirements for the review process so more high quality research is needed in this area. However, these study results show promise for the positive benefits of dry needling in MS symptom managment.
Another study published by the Journal of Physical Therapy Science in 2021 investigated the impact of dry needling in managing spasticity, a common symptom found in individuals with MS. Twelve participants with MS received weekly dry needling sessions for four weeks. The study found significant improvements in spasticity, pain, and quality of life measures. Additionally, participants demonstrated enhanced walking capacity and manual dexterity allowing the authors to conclude that dry needling offered a safe and effective approach for managing spasticity in MS patients.
Additionally, a double-blind randomized controlled pilot trial was published in 2023 in the Healthcare journal examining the effects of dry needling on gait performance, self-perceived walking capacity, risk of falls, disability level, and quality of life in indivisual with MS. The 18 study participants received a single session of active dry needling or sham dry needling (accupuncture needles placed at a shallow depth) in a spastic calf muscle. Pre-treatment and immediate post-treatment measurements were taken, as well as at one and four weeks after treatment. The group who received active dry needling showed within-group significant improvements immediately after treatment for gait performance and risk of falls. Significant improvements were noted in self-perceived walking capacity at one and four weeks post treatment, and quality of life measures were notably improved at four weeks post treatment. While this study did not find a significant differnece between the active and sham needling group, the results are promising that positive changes can occur within individuals with MS even after a single treatment.
Are There Benefits Beyond MS?
While the current research has primarily focused on the MS population, dry needling has shown promise in managing symptoms associated with other neurologic conditions as well. These conditions include:
- Stroke: A systematic review of multiple research studies suggests that dry needling may improve range of motion, motor function, and reduce spasticity after stroke. (Valencia-Chulian et al, 2020)
- Parkinson’s disease: Dry needling may help alleviate muscle rigidity and improve gait speedl in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. However, study results are not strong and further research is needed in the populaton. (Brandin-del la Cruz et al., 2021)
- Spinal cord injury: Case studies have shown potential benefits for improving pain, spasticity, and functional movement in individuals with spinal cord injury. However, more reearch is needed on a larger study group to fully understand the mechanisms of dry needling in this patient group. (Cruz-Montecinos et al., 2020)
Important Considerations
While dry needling may offer potential benefits in neurologic symptom management, it’s important to consider the potential limitations. These include but are not limited to:
- Individualized Treatment: Consulting a qualified physical therapist experienced in dry needling for neurological conditions is essential. They will conduct a thorough assessment to determine if dry needling is appropriate for you and assist you in developing a personalized treatment plan. A “one-size fits all” approach is never the best option for treatment.
- Potential Side Effects: Temporary discomfort, bruising, or bleeding are possible side effects although these are typically mild and short-lived.
- Limited Research: While the research body is expanding in this patient population, more high-quality studies are needed to fully understand the effectiveness and long-term effects of dry needling for specific neurological conditions.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
Dry needling therapy, performed by a qualified physical therapist, offers a promising approach for managing symptoms associated with MS and other neurologic conditions. Research suggests its potential to improve spasticity, pain, and mobility, leading to enhanced quality of life for individuals living with these challenging conditions. As research continues to explore its effectiveness, dry needling may continue to become a widely accepted and valuable addition to the treatment arsenal for neurologic rehabilitation.
References:
Brandin-del la Cruz, N. et al. (2021). Effects of dry needling on gait and muscle tone in Parkinson’s disease: a randomized clinical trial. Accupuncture in Medicine. 40(1).
Cruz-Montecinos, C. et al. (2020). Dry needling technique decreases spasticity and improves general functioning in incomplete spinal cord injury: A case report. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. 43(3):414-418.
Javier-Ormazabal, A. et al. (2023). The effectiveness of a single dry needling session on gait and quality of life in multiple sclerosis: A double-blind randomized sham-controlled pilot trial. Healthcare. 12(1):10.
Mutlu, A. et al. (2023). Effectiveness of dry needling on the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis: systematic review. Exploration of Neuroprotectice Therapy. 3:470-480.
Pilar Pérez-Trujillo, M. et al. (2021). Dry needling for treating spasticity in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 33(7): 505-510.
Valencia-Chulian, R. et al. (2020). Dry needling for the management of spasticity, pain, and range of movement in adults after stroke: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102515.