NCT07615725 Dry Needling in Multiple Sclerosis

Eligibility & Interventions

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What to Expect as a Participant

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This trial targets 24 participants in total. It began in 2026-05-08 with a primary completion date of 2027-05-01.

Brief Summary

This study is placed at the Human Functional Performance Laboratory in the School of physical therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (MDT building) at University of South Florida. The study is supported by Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. We are doing this study to see if a treatment called dry needling improves chronic pain in the lower limb (from the low back to the foot) in people who have Multiple Sclerosis. Dry needling involves using tiny needles, like those used in acupuncture, to target certain muscles, such as the thigh or calf muscles. It is different from traditional acupuncture because it focuses on treating specific muscle spots to reduce muscle stiffness and pain. Dry needling may help reduce your pain without any medication. We also hope to see whether dry needling helps improve balance and walking abilities, which may lead to better day-to-day functioning. In this study, there are two groups. In each group, participants will receive six sessions of dry needling. One group will receive actual dry needling, while the other group will receive a procedure that mimics dry needling. The treatment you get will be chosen by chance, like flipping a coin. Neither you nor the study doctor will choose what treatment you get. You will have an equal chance of being given either treatment or sham treatment. You will not be told which treatment you are getting; however your study doctor will know. You are being asked to take part because you have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and are experiencing long-lasting pain in your lower limbs, including the buttocks, thighs, calf, and foot. We want to find out if this treatment will help people with Multiple Sclerosis who have lower limb pain.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis based on McDonald's Criteria; Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) score of 1-5 (ambulatory participants), the ability to communicate written and spoken English, , age 18-80 and experiencing pain in the lower extremity for more than three consecutive months (3-months) with intensity of 3 or more out of 10 based on numeric pain scale (clinically meaningful pain). Exclusion Criteria: any neurological comorbidity (such as stroke and PD), presence of MS relapse in the last 30 days, current participation in or planned initiation of any pain management intervention (interventional or rehabilitative) targeting the lower extremity, or anticipated changes in pain medication during the study period. Additional exclusion criteria include pregnancy (by urine pregnancy test), any active cancer or chemotherapy within one year, the score of lower than 17 on the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), a known or suspected infection in the lower extremity, deep vein thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, active osteomyelitis in the lower extremity, varicose veins and uncontrolled seizures/ epilepsy.

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