Treatment validation for Myofascial Pain

STUDY BASICS

Do you have chronic low back pain? You may be eligible for a research study to develop a practical method to identify pain due to low back muscles. Compensation is provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

This study aims to better understand and diagnose low back pain using ultrasound imaging, which allows muscles and tissues to be seen in real time. They will also use advanced computer programs (machine learning) to study these images and track changes in a special signal from the body, called the Neural Understanding Network (NUN) biomarker. This study will look at how this signal changes after dry needling treatment and whether it can help predict who is likely to improve based on their results.

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?

• Age 20-70
• Have chronic low back
• NO HISTORY of receiving dry needling/trigger point injections 

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

There are 2 in-person visits that are 1-3 weeks apart. You will visit one of the study sites at the University of Pittsburgh.

During the first visit, once you are enrolled into the study, you will be randomly assigned, like a flip of a coin to one of 2 groups:

• Dry Needling Group: Dry needling is a therapeutic treatment, often involves inserting thin needles into the skin and muscle at trigger points to relieve pain and improve movement.
• Sham Needling Group: A placebo treatment is where a needle that does not penetrate the skin is used to mimic the experience of dry needling.

You’ll also complete surveys at home after the treatment.