Recruiting

Ultrasound-Guided Dry Needling & Physical Therapy

Sponsor:

Liberty University

Code:

NCT07907562

Conditions

Cervical Radiculopathy

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Ultrasound-guided electrical dry needling

Conventional Physical Therapy

Study Details

Brief summary:

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate whether ultrasound-guided electrical dry needling with conventional physical therapy is more effective than conventional physical therapy alone in the following outcome measures: disability (Neck Disability Index and Upper Extremity Functional Index-20), average pain over the last 24 hours (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), paraspinal mechanosensitivity (pain-pressure threshold), cervical ipsilateral rotation range-of-motion, and medication intake.

Conditions

Cervical Radiculopathy

Study ID

NCT07907562

Start date

Nov 2, 2026

Status verified date

Nov, 2026

Completion date

Dec, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 18 years or older
2. Symptoms greater than three months
3. Neck and unilateral arm pain
4. A positive cluster of Wainner (4/4 tests; a clinical prediction rule to rule in cervical radiculopathy)
5. Cervical spine imaging confirming nerve root involvement

Exclusion Criteria:

1. needle aversion
2. local or systemic infection
3. vascular disease
4. a compromised immune system
5. cognitive impairment
6. dyskinesia
7. bleeding disorders
8. uncontrolled diabetes
9. pregnancy
10. seizure history
11. presence of a pacemaker
12. presence of other polyneuropathies
13. presence of bilateral upper extremity symptoms
14. history of cervical surgery
15. history of current diagnosis affecting the ipsilateral upper extremity
16. pending litigation
17. have had recent surgery
18. take blood thinners
19. presence of a congenital disorder affecting the cervical spine, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, or upper extremity

Study Design

Enrollment

58 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Ultrasound-guided electrical dry needling with conventional physical therapy

The participants in this group will receive 30 minutes of ultrasound-guided electrical dry needling to the cervical multifidi and lamina. The participant will then proceed to participate in conventional physical therapy (e.g., stretching, strengthening, joint mobilization, neural mobilization)

active comparator: Conventional physical therapy only group

Participants in this group will only perform conventional physical therapy exercises. Prescription will be governed by the participants' reported severity and irritability within the SINSS protocol, offering a means of standardizing care across differing participant presentations.

Interventions

Ultrasound-guided electrical dry needling

With ultrasound guidance using sterile gel, between 40mm and 60mm by 0.30mm diameter J-SEIRIN needles will be inserted lateral to medial at a 45 to 60 degree angle to the laminas from C5 to T1. Needles will be angled inferiorly by 10 degrees secondary to the perched nature of the cervical vertebra. Needles (n=4) will be left in situ for 30 minutes with electrical stimulation at low frequency (2 Hz) and moderate pulse duration (250 microseconds) via an ITO ES-160 at the maximum tolerable intensity. Electrical stimulation will be coupled with manual manipulation via four clockwise 360-degree turns every five minutes as tolerated.

Conventional Physical Therapy

Classification of patients into high, moderate, and low severity and irritability groups will be done within the severity and irritability components of the SINSS protocol. Severity and irritability levels will be assessed at the start of each visit to guide CPT prescription. If these levels differ, then the allotted interventions will be the more conservative option. CPT will incorporate stretching, graded cervical and periscapular exercises, joint mobilization, and neural mobilization at different intensities per their respective severity and irritability.

Primary outcome measure

  • Neck Disability, as Measured by the Neck Disability Index, from Baseline to Two and Four Weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline, two weeks, and four weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Austin Granger

4789528730agranger10@liberty.edu

Locations

Macon Rehabilitation and Performance Center

Recruiting

Macon, Georgia, United States, 31210

Contacts

Sammy Bonfim

478-757-2255sammy.bonfim@p4physicaltherapy.com

More Information

Sponsor

Liberty University

Last update posted

Nov 4, 2026

Last verified

Nov, 2026

Keywords

  • cervical radiculopathy
  • electrical dry needling
  • ultrasound
  • physical therapy

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-11-05. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Liberty University on 2026-11-04. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.