• Tugba Aydin, Bahar Dernek, Tülin Sentürk Ege, Ayse Karan, and Cihan Aksoy.
• Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
• Pain Med. 2019 Jan 1; 20 (1): 153-160.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of dry needling therapy combined with exercise and exercise treatment alone for alleviating the dizziness caused by cervical myofascial pain syndrome.DesignThis was a prospective randomized clinical study that included 61 women who had dizziness and myofascial trigger points on the neck muscles. The patients were randomized into a dry needling + exercise group (N = 31) and an exercise only group (N = 30).ResultsThe mean age of the patients (±SD) was 38.4 ± 8.3 years. The intragroup comparisons of the severity of neck pain, algometric measurement, number of dizziness attacks per week, severity of the dizziness, fall index, and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory were improved in both groups at the first and fourth months (P < 0.05). The intergroup comparisons of the severity of neck pain, algometric measurement, number of dizziness attacks per week, the severity of the dizziness, and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory were more improved in the dry needling + exercise group at the first or fourth month compared with their inital assessments (P < 0.05). There was no diffence in fall index scores between the groups (P > 0.05).ConclusionsBoth dry needling + exercise therapy and exercise therapy alone were effective in treating dizziness caused by cervical myofascial pain syndrome. However, dry needling + exercise treatment was superior to exercise treatment alone.

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