The Effects of Dry Needling As a Novel Recovery Strategy on Quadriceps Muscle Fatigue: A Pilot Study

Dry Needling (DN) is a procedure to treat neuromusculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to examine the effects of DN on quadriceps muscle fatigue in healthy young adults.

Fifteen healthy young subjects (13 male, 2 female; mean±standard deviation 26.1±5.9 years) participated in a pretest-posttest study. Subjects received one session of DN for a total of 3 minutes with one minute each for the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris muscles. The Isometric Peak Torque (IPT), Single Leg Hop (SLH) test, and Y Balance Test (YBT) were measured at baseline, immediately after completion of the fatigue protocol, and after DN.

Repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated significant improvements in the IPT, SLH, and YBT scores after DN. Effects sizes were medium for IPT (d =0.61) and SLH test (d=0.57), and large for YBT (d=0.7).

Dry needling had a significant effect on recovery of quadriceps muscle fatigue, functional performance, and dynamic balance. These findings suggest that DN can be utilized as a novel recovery strategy to manage muscle fatigue. Further research is warranted.