Karmiani et al, just recently (2022) conducted a double-blind randomised clinical trial looking into the effect of gluteus-medius dry needling on pain and physical function of non-athlete women with unilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome.
They found a significant improvement in physical function of the experimental group after one week from the Glut-Med Dry Needling.
With Dry Needling we can reach deep points in a muscle that would otherwise remain nearly inaccessible for treatment.
The Glut-Med is a unique muscle which remains generally dysfunctional in patella femoral pain.
Dry needling immediately ‘resets’ the Glut-Med and allow for a graduated reloading programme.
Also, worth mentioning, is Dry Needling of the calf.
When tight, the calf muscles are prone to cramping and consequently even to tearing.
Deep tissue massage, while potentially effective in this case, tends also to be extremely painful.
However, Dry Needling of cramped calf muscles is a much quicker and more effective way to achieve release.
To conclude:
In this scenario, dry needling has been proven to be a powerful tool for speedy and pinpointed treatment.