ADDITIVE EFFECT OF DRY NEEDLING COMBINED WITH STRENGTH TRAINING ON PAIN AND FUNCTION IN ATHLETES WITH PATELLAR TENDINOPATHY (JUMPER'S KNEE): A COMPARATIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Patellar tendinopathy in athletes is defined is not just painful, but also has a measurable loss of
tendon loading capacity and sport specific function. While strength training is the accepted foundation for
restoring this function, the additional functional benefit of dry needling as an adjunct to a strength training
programme, rather than just pain relief, has not been well defined with a currently validated and sport-specific
functional outcome measure.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of dry needling combined with a strength training programme versus strength
training programme alone on functional status in athletes with patellar tendinopathy using the Victorian Institute
of Sport Assessment–Patellar (VISA-P) questionnaire.
Methods: 60 athletes (18–35 years) with clinically diagnosed patellar tendinopathy were divided into two
groups: Group A (n=30, strength-training programme alone) and Group B (n=30, dry needling plus strength-
training programme). They were treated 5 days/week for 4 weeks. VISA-P was recorded at baseline and 4 weeks.
Results: VISA-P improved significantly in both groups (Group A: 56.67±6.56 to 66.03±7.17, gain 9.37, t=22.95,
p<0.001; Group B: 56.60±5.79 to 75.57±5.96, gain 18.97, t=39.86, p<0.001). At 4 weeks, Group B scored
significantly higher than Group A (mean difference 9.53, t=5.60, df=58, p<0.001). Group B's gains were greater
than the previously reported minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for VISA-P; whereas the
improvement observed in Group A did not reach this clinically meaningful threshold.
Conclusions: Dry needling combined with strength training leads to a clinically meaningful functional
improvement in athletes with jumper's knee, while strength training alone leads to a statistically significant but
clinically incomplete functional improvement over 4 weeks.