Dry Needling for Sub Acromial Pain Syndrome

Study Summary

This trial will investigate the benefit of trigger point dry needling (DN) for individuals with a common cause of shoulder pain - sub-acromial pain syndrome. Sub-acromial pain syndrome, also knowns as SAPS, is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. Physical therapy treatments are routinely used for treating SAPS. One treatment approach that has been shown to be beneficial is a combination of exercises and manual or manipulative therapy. This approach has been shown to reduce pain and improve overall shoulder function in individuals with SAPS. Recently, a novel treatment approach for SAPS has emerged that involves trigger point DN to muscles of the shoulder and ribcage. Some studies have shown promising results for this approach while others have not found it to be helpful. Overall there is currently little research available on the benefit of trigger point DN for individuals with SAPS. This study will investigate whether adding trigger point DN to a treatment program of exercise and manual therapy provides any benefit to individuals with SAPS. To answer this question, this study will divide subjects into three groups. One group will receive just exercise and manual therapy; one group will receive manual therapy and exercise plus trigger point DN and one group will receive manual therapy and exercise plus a sham trigger point DN treatment. All patients receiving treatment in the study will attend 10 visits to a physical therapy clinic over a 6-week period. Subjects in the dry needling and sham dry needling groups will receive 6 sessions of this treatment in addition to their 10 sessions of exercise and manual therapy. The investigators will assess the effectiveness of the three treatment protocols by measuring patients pain, shoulder function and disability levels. These outcomes will be assessed at baseline, six weeks, 6 months and one year from enrolling in the study. In addition to assessing clinical outcomes following treatment, the investigators wi

Primary Outcome

The SPADI is a 100-point, 13 item self-administered questionnaire. It is divided into two subscales: a five item pain subscale and an eight-item disability subscale. Williams et al have shown that the SPADI is responsive to change and accurately discriminates between patients who are improving or worsening. Michener and Leggin also reported a high test-retest reliability and internal consistency for this instrument. When compared to the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), Heald et al found that the c

Interventions

• PROCEDURE Dry Needling
• PROCEDURE Sham Dry Needling
• PROCEDURE Standard Physical Therapy Treatment