Like many patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Angela Arroyo lives with pain, especially in her legs, making it difficult to walk and get a good night鈥檚 sleep.
黑料吃瓜网 Health's Amir Tabatabaei with research participant Angela Arroyo. Tabatabaei is researching the effectiveness of dry needling in alleviating leg pain caused by MS.
The Tampa resident was diagnosed with MS a little more than a year ago. Her neurologist told her about an ongoing 黑料吃瓜网 study exploring a new method to ease the muscle tightness and lower extremity pain often caused by the disease. Led by , assistant professor in the , the study is exploring the effectiveness of dry needling.
Dry needling involves inserting a thin needle, which is similar to those used in acupuncture, into myofascial trigger points, or contracted knots in skeletal muscle that reduce blood flow and increase stiffness. Unlike predetermined points used in acupuncture, dry needling practitioners use touch to locate the affected areas in the body, a skill Tabatabaei said takes years to refine.
Arroyo was initially hesitant to participate, but she was looking for another option that didn鈥檛 come with the side effects of typical medication therapy, such as fatigue, and ultimately decided to enroll.
Within a week of starting the treatment, she noticed less pain and improved sleep. Her husband also noticed a change in her walking.
Unlike the fixed points of acupuncture, dry needling practitioners use touch to locate the body's affected areas.
鈥淚t worked. It鈥檚 actually helping me,鈥 said Arroyo, who has since completed the study. 鈥淚 hope it helps other people.鈥
Chronic pain is one of the most common and complicated symptoms experienced by people with MS, yet Tabatabaei said existing treatments often fall short. Medication carries risks, such as addiction. Exercise therapy, a common rehabilitation option, often fails because the underlying pain prevents people from participating.
Funded by the , Tabatabaei鈥檚 study examines the feasibility and safety of dry needling for lower extremity pain, a common site of MS-related pain.
鈥淭he final goal of chronic pain management is not only to reduce pain, but also to improve function,鈥 Tabatabaei said.
Tabatabaei has been a licensed physical therapist since 2011 and has for many years used dry needling to treat patients with musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. Working closely with neurologists and pain specialists also highlighted gaps in chronic pain management, which inspired his master's and doctoral research on dry needling for neck and lower back pain. He found that people with MS and chronic lower extremity pain walked worse than those without dry needling, which helped him focus the study on the legs. His current clinical research is a natural extension that builds on those findings.
Chronic pain is a common symptom of MS, and dry needling offers a potential treatment option without the drawbacks of medication and exercise therapy.
Participants in the study complete nine visits. The first six are dedicated to dry needling sessions that target muscles in the lower and upper legs. Patients spend the remaining three visits on a walkway mat that tracks gait and a balance test that measures postural sway 鈥 allowing researchers to assess the patient鈥檚 muscle function, mobility and pain.
Because leg pain can keep people with MS from walking and contributes to a more sedentary lifestyle, determining if dry needling improves mobility and balance is a central question of the study.
The research is being conducted in partnership with the , which treats more than 3,000 people with MS annually.
Grace Tucker, a third-year biomedical sciences student and research assistant on the study, helps screen participants and administers cognitive and physical assessments. Through that work, she has seen how closely pain and everyday activities are connected for people with MS and believes the study will spark further research into dry needling across the field.
鈥淒ry needling is something that鈥檚 new and upcoming,鈥 Tucker said. 鈥淓very assessment gives us another piece of the picture. Our hope is that this research lets us better understand if dry needling can improve how participants feel and ultimately improve their quality of life.鈥
Tabatabaei and his team continue to recruit participants. Eligible patients must have lower-extremity pain lasting three months or more, regardless of severity.
鈥淥ur long-term goal is a paradigm shift in chronic pain management for people with multiple sclerosis,鈥 he said.