Effect of Dry Needling on Spasticity, Shoulder Range of Motion, and Pressure Pain Sensitivity in Patients With Stroke: A Crossover Study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the inclusion of deep dry needling (DDN) in spastic shoulder muscles into a rehabilitation program on spasticity, pressure pain sensitivity, and shoulder range of motion in subjects who had experienced a stroke.

Methods: A controlled, repeated-measures, crossover, double-blinded, randomized trial was conducted. Twenty patients who have had a stroke were randomly assigned to receive rehabilitation alone or rehabilitation combined with DDN over the upper trapezius, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and pectoralis mayor muscles on the spastic shoulder.