Shockwave Therapy Versus Dry Needling for the Management of Iliotibial Band Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial: SWT Vs. DN for the Treatment of ITBS.

Razie Maghroori,Saied Khosrawi,Leila Karshenas

doi:10.31661/gmj.v10i0.2174

Razie Maghroori, Saied Khosrawi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.31661/gmj.v10i0.2174

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Abstract

Background: Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a common leading cause of lateral knee pain. Despite varieties of medical and non-medical treatments proposed for the management of ITBS, the best therapeutic approach for its treatment remained a significant question. The current study aims to compare the outcomes of dry needling (DN) versus shockwave therapy (SWT) in the management of ITBS. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 40 patients diagnosed with ITBS. The patients were randomly divided into two treatment groups of DN (n=20) and SWT (n=20). Visual analog scale for the pain assessment, Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) for the function evaluation, and length of the iliotibial band were assessed at baseline, immediately after the cessation of the intervention, and within four weeks. Results: The two groups were similar regarding demographic characteristics (P0.05). Both approaches could efficiently lead to improved pain (P0.001) and promoted function based on LEFS (P0.001); however, iliotibial band length (ITBL) did not alter remarkably (P0.05). The groups were similar in terms of pain score, LEFS, and ITBL at all of the assessment intervals (P0.05), but the pain score within four weeks following the interventions that were significantly better in DN (P=0.023). Conclusion: Based on our results, DN, as well as SWT, could remarkably lead to an improvement in pain and function among patients resenting from ITBS; however, none of the approaches was superior over the other.

Highlights

IIliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a leading cause of pain complaints in the lateral aspect of the knee and is mostly notified in runners [1]
Study Population This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 40 patients diagnosed with ITBS and referred to the Physical medicine and Rehabilitation outpatient clinics affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences from May 2018 to August 2019
The eligibility of 48 cases with the diagnosis of ITBS has been evaluated; among them 40 patients met the criteria for participation in the study and were randomly allocated to the dry needling (DN) therapy (n=20) and shockwave therapy (SWT) (n=20, Figure-1)

Summary

Introduction

IIliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a leading cause of pain complaints in the lateral aspect of the knee and is mostly notified in runners [1]. This continual process poses an inflammation in the distal part of the ITB, leading to notifying severe disabling pain in the knee, lateral thigh, and hip and prevents a person from participating in physical activities [2, 3]. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a common leading cause of lateral knee pain. Conclusion: Based on our results, DN, as well as SWT, could remarkably lead to an improvement in pain and function among patients resenting from ITBS; none of the approaches was superior over the other. Conclusion: Based on our results, DN, as well as SWT, could remarkably lead to an improvement in pain and function among patients resenting from ITBS; none of the approaches was superior over the other. [GMJ.2021;10:e2174]

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Conclusion