Does needling boost knee performance? new study tests dry needling vs acupuncture
NCT ID NCT07612969
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at whether adding dry needling, acupuncture, or sham needling to a muscle release technique improves knee range of motion, balance, and jump height in active men aged 18-28 with tight hamstrings and quadriceps. Sixty-five participants were split into four groups and treated over five weeks. The goal was to see which combination works best for functional performance.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Dry needling, acupuncture, and sham needling
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help physical therapists choose the best needling technique to improve knee function and reduce injury risk in active people.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study in healthy young men, so results may not apply to injured or older populations. The sham needling group also received muscle release, making it hard to isolate the effect of needling alone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
65 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jan 2023
- Finished
-
Feb 2023
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 28 years
- Sex
-
Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * moderately active men (Perform at least 60 min of any sport activity on at least 3 days per week) * aged between 18 and 28 years old * having muscular tightness in both hamstrings and quadriceps muscles in both lower limbs Exclusion Criteria: * men who received any surgical, dry needling or acupuncture treatment in the last 6 months prior to the experimentation. * Participants who had suffered from any injuries at the level of the hips, knees or ankles in the 12 months before the study. * participants under anticoagulant medications or suffering from bleeding disorders.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Healthy adult males are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physiotherapy, Saint Joseph University of Beirut
Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a simple reaching exercise strengthen ankles and cut injury risk?
- Urine chemistry may hold key to safer dosing for brain drug
- Could a skin patch replace IV sedation? early test in healthy adults
- Can a common amino acid help your body build more protein?
- Fine-Mist inhalers aim to reach deep lungs in COPD
- Can antibodies enter the bloodstream via the colon?