Efficacy of ultrasound-guided trigger point dry needling combined with high-intensity laser therapy for neck type cervical spondylopathy
LIU Chang
LIN Yulian
TANG Yujia
ZHOU Yujia
SUN Meng
YUAN Yan
Abstract：Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided trigger point dry needling combined with high-intensity laser therapy(HILT)in the treatment of neck type cervical spondylopathy(NTCS).Methods Seventy NTCS patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to two groups(n=35).The experimental group(Group T)received ultrasound-guided trigger point dry needling combined with HILT,while the control group(Group C)received the same needling procedure combined with sham laser therapy.Both groups underwent two treatment sessions during hospitalization,with a 5-day interval.Outcomes were assessed at multiple time points:before treatment(T0),immediately after the first acupuncture(T1),24 h(T2)and 48 h(T3)post-first acupuncture,and at 1(T5),4(T6),and 12(T7)weeks after treatment completion.The primary pain outcomes were the Numerical Rating Scale(NRS)and the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2(SF-MPQ-2).Secondary outcomes included cervical range of motion(CROM,assessed at T0 and 1 day post-treatment[T4]),the Neck Disability Index(NDI,at T0,T4,T5,T6,T7),the Athens Insomnia Scale(AIS)and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS)scores(at T0 and T6).Patient satisfaction,analgesic consumption during treat-ment,and adverse events were also recorded.Results Compared to baseline(T0),both groups showed significant improvements in NRS,SF-MPQ-2,and NDI scores at all post-treatment time points(P<0.05),increased CROM at T4(P<0.05),and reduced AIS and HADS scores at T6(P<0.05).Compared to Group C,Group T demonstrated significantly lower NRS and SF-MPQ-2 scores at T2,T3,T5,T6,and T7(P<0.05);greater lateral bending CROM at T4(P<0.05);lower NDI scores at T6 and T7(P<0.05);and a lower AIS score at T6(P<0.05).Furthermore,Group T reported higher post-treatment satisfaction(P<0.05)and required less imrecoxib(P<0.05).No significant between-group differences were observed in other indicators(P>0.05),and no serious adverse reactions were reported.Conclusion For patients with NTCS,ultrasound-guided trigger point dry needling combined with HILT is more effective than needling combined with sham laser in alleviating post-needling soreness(PNS)and primary neck pain,improving cervical lateral bending range of motion and function,enhanc-ing sleep quality,and reducing the need for analgesic medication.
Keywords：neck type cervical spondylopathymyofascial trigger pointsdry needlinghigh-intensity laser therapypost-needling soreness
Publication Date：2026-03-10
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-20(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 854-860 )