Efficacy of Deep Dry Needling on Latent Myofascial Trigger Points in Older Adults With Nonspecific Shoulder Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial Pilot Study.

This was a pilot with only 20 participants, so it was too small to confirm treatment effects or rule out a real difference in pain or grip strength. The trial was single blind because the assessor was blinded but patients were not blinded to needling, and there was no placebo needling group. Latent and active trigger point diagnosis was based on palpation and local twitch response, not needle electromyography, and the paper notes that trigger point detection reliability remains questioned. The paper says the pressure pain threshold values did not reach the level the authors considered clinically relevant. The study measured outcomes only immediately after treatment and 1 week after treatment. People taking analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, or other specified medications were excluded, so the results may not apply to older adults who use common shoulder pain medications. The sample had more women than men, 70% women and 30% men overall, and the experimental group was younger and had higher baseline pain, pressure pain threshold, and grip strength, although the paper says these baseline differences were not significant.

The authors declared no conflict of interest. The supplied text does not state a funding source. Richard W Bohannon was the decision editor.

Do not conclude that adding deep dry needling of a latent trigger point improves shoulder pain or strength. This was a 20-person pilot without a placebo group, and only a forearm pressure sensitivity measure favored the added needling; pain and grip strength did not differ between groups.