Publications
Effect of dry needling on thoracic and lumbar extensor muscle tone and perceived recovery in elite cross-country skiers: A sham-controlled randomized crossover pilot trial
Authors: Laurie Proulx 1, 2, Jean-Sebastien Roy 1, 2, Marc-Olivier Dube 1, 2, 3, 4
Affiliations:
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec, Canada
- La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Center, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
- Australian IOC Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Journal: Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies - October 2026, Volume 48, Pages 1077-1083 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2026.08.023)
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Field & Applications:
- Sport
- Treatment evaluation
- Warm-up / Recovery
Objective: To estimate the short-term effects of dry needling, compared with sham needling, on thoracic and lumbar extensor mechanical muscle properties and perceived recovery in elite cross-country skiers.
Methods: This randomized crossover pilot trial included 10 athletes (mean age: 21 ± 2 years; body mass index: 22.7 ± 1.4; 80% men) across two 10-day pre-season training camps separated by approximately two months. Participants received two dry needling sessions during one camp and two sham needling sessions during the other, according to a randomized sequence. MyotonPRO measurements of frequency, stiffness, and elasticity were obtained before, immediately after, and 48 h after each treatment session. Perceived recovery was assessed using the Short Recovery and Stress Scale on days 0, 5, and 10 of each camp. Repeated-measures mixed models examined intervention, time, and intervention-by-time effects.
Results: No significant main effects of intervention were observed for the mechanical muscle properties or perceived recovery. A significant intervention-by-time interaction was observed for thoracic elasticity (p = 0.03), although post hoc comparisons were nonsignificant. Significant main effects of time were observed for lumbar frequency (p = 0.01), lumbar elasticity (p < 0.01), and perceived recovery (p < 0.01). Lumbar frequency and logarithmic decrement increased transiently after treatment, while perceived recovery declined during the training camps.
Conclusion: In this sham-controlled crossover pilot study, estimates did not show a clear advantage of dry needling over sham needling for thoracic or lumbar mechanical muscle properties or perceived recovery. The imprecision of the estimates precludes conclusions about smaller potentially meaningful effects.
Keywords: dry needling, muscle tone, perceived recovery, cross-country skiing
This small sham-controlled crossover pilot trial did not identify a clear advantage of DN over sham DN for the measured resting mechanical muscle properties or perceived recovery in elite cross-country skiers. Because estimates were imprecise and the study was not powered to exclude small or moderate effects, the comparative findings are inconclusive. The observed time-related changes may reflect training exposure, treatment-context effects, or other period-related factors. Larger trials with prespecified outcomes, crossover-appropriate analyses, and quantitative training-load monitoring are needed.