Skip to main content
ACRM 100th Annual Conference Main banner
InBody BWA
Final Program


Back

Neurodegenerative Disease

Dry needling as an alternative treatment in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Tuesday, October 31, 2023
12:00 PM – 12:06 PM  
Location: Station 9

    Non-presenting author(s)

  • Abbas tabatabaei, PhD

    Research Scholar
    Mobility and Falls lab, Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, School of Health Professions, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
    Kansas city, Kansas, United States

    • Non-presenting Author(s)

  • Jacob J. Sosnoff, PhD

    Professor and Associate Dean for Research
    University of Kansas Medical Center
    Kansas City, Kansas, United States

    • Presenting Author(s)

  • Tobia Zanotto, PhD, MS, BS

    Assistant Professor
    University of Kansas Medical Center
    Kansas City, Kansas, United States

    • Non-presenting Author(s)

  • DP

    Danya Pradeep Kumar, PhD

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, University of Kansas Medical Center
    Overland Park, Kansas, United States

  • MM

    Mustafa Mangdow

    PhD student
    KUMC, United States

Objective(s): Dry needling (DN) as an alternative strategy to reduce spasticity and improve function has recently been investigated for persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The present review aims to explore the potential benefits of DN in reducing muscle spasticity and pain and improving mobility, walking, and balance in PwMS.

Data Sources: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Embase/Ovid, CINHAL, CENTRAL, Web of Science and PEDRO, clinicaltrials.gov, and ICTRP. The search results were limited to studies published between 2000 and May 2023 without any language restriction.

Study Selection: Six studies, including clinical trials, case reports/series, and protocol studies, were selected for review based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Data Extraction: Two reviewers (AT and MM) independently investigated the quality of studies based on the PEDro scale. Data regarding the effects of dry needling on muscle spasticity, pain intensity, and mobility were extracted and analyzed.

Data Synthesis: Four original articles have been published on the effectiveness of DN in PwMS. Generally, favorable outcomes, including improvements in pain intensity, functional abilities, and spasticity, have been reported in the studies. All studies found improvement in the level of following DN treatment in PwMS.

Conclusions: Dry needling shows promise as a complementary therapeutic approach for managing various symptoms in persons with MS. However, the conclusion is limited due to poor methodology without any control group. Furthermore, the effects of DN may vary among individuals with different clinical presentations of MS, necessitating further investigation.

Author(s) Disclosures: None

Learning Objectives:

  • Upon completion, participants will be able to understand the current literature regarding. effectiveness of dry needling on spasticity and mobility in subjects with multiple sclerosis
  • After completion, participants can identify research gaps in the use of dry needling for treating individuals with multiple sclerosis.
  • Upon completion, Researchers will be able to develop clinical trials regarding the effectiveness of dry needling in the multiple sclerosis population.