Abstract
Stroke causes acute neurological deficit which is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Neurorehabilitation is an important dimension in the management of post-stroke deficits. Spasticity, pain, and neurological deficits are contributors to post-stroke disability. Dry needling (DN) is a technique commonly used in the management of myofascial pain. Recent evidence suggests its efficacy in the management of post-stroke disability. The descriptive review on the use of DN summarises the evidence for the management of post-stroke patients such as spasticity, balance, pain, functional outcome, tremor, and ultrasonographic evidence. The filiform needle is inserted into the target muscle until a local twitch response is obtained. The effects of DN are produced by the local stretch of the spastic muscle and afferent modulation of the reflex arc that decreases the excitability of the alpha motor neuron. The DN reduces muscle spasticity in post-stroke patients. The improved spasticity is translated to better functional outcomes and balance. The procedure is also shown to reduce pain including post-stroke shoulder pain. It is also shown to improve tremors in post-stroke patients. Ultrasonographic evidence of the beneficial effects of DN shows improved measures in the pennate angle and mean muscle thickness. Concurrent use of DN and electrical stimulation improve spasticity, the effect which may be seen for longer periods. DN is emerging as a useful and cost-effective technique in the management of post-stroke patients. The evidence for the use of DN in the management of post-stroke spasticity is high. However, more research is required to assess its efficacy in functional outcomes and other aspects of the stroke.
Highlights
Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide
The descriptive review on the use of Dry needling (DN) summarises the evidence for the management of post-stroke patients such as spasticity, balance, pain, functional outcome, tremor, and ultrasonographic evidence
More research is required to assess its efficacy in functional outcomes and other aspects of the stroke
Summary
Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. The disability resulting from stroke has health, social and economic implications for the patient. The recent advances in the acute management of stroke with the use of recanalization procedures have improved the recovery of patients with stroke. The important contributors of disability in post-stroke patients include spasticity, post-stroke pain, and neurological deficits. The evidence for the use of DN in the management of spasticity due to various neurological conditions such as stroke has been supportive. Evidence for the use of DN in the management of stroke other than spasticity has been emerging. In this descriptive review, we summarise the various evidence that supports or refutes the use of DN in stroke. DN is a skilled interventional procedure that can be performed by physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists who are trained to perform DN [3]
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