Dry Needling and Patients Treatment Expectations

Objectives The aim of this study is to compare the effects of inducing positive expectations against negative or neutral induced expectations on the activation of the Autonomic Nervous System and the analgesic response, after a dry needling technique in upper trapezius fibers in patients with unspecific neck pain. Summary Theoretical framework: Dry needling has proven its efficacy for the treatment of myofascial trigger points. Moreover, it has proven its effects over the Central Nervous System and the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). Despite that previous studies have researched the role of patient's expectations and their relationship with the results of treatment, there is insufficient information concerning the effects of inducing expectations and the activation of the ANS during the application of widely used therapies, such as dry needling.

NCT Number	NCT04636879
Lead Sponsor	University of Alcala
Conditions	Neck Pain; Dry Needling; Motivation
Enrollment	45 participants
Start Date	2021-02-23
Primary Completion	2026-09-05 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-11-05 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-01