The effect of myofascial latent trigger point dry needling on athletic performance parameters in football players

Our study was designed to investigate the effects of myofascial latent trigger point dry needling on pain, proprioception and isokinetic parameters such as, strength, endurance, peak torque angle and isokinetic time parameters. Twenty-four licensed amateur football player participated in the study. After questioning the demographic characteristics and participation criteria of the study, myofascial latent trigger points were determined through palpation in rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, and semitendinosus-semimembranosus muscle groups and they were marked with indelible skin pencil. Pressure - pain threshold measurements of these marked points were made with Baseline (Push-Pull Force Gauge®, Fabrication Enterprises, Inc.) brand algometer. Velocity – based proprioception tests were done in 2 different angular velocities (60 0/sec. and 180 0/sec.) on Cybex HUMAC/NORM (CSMI, 2004) isokinetic device. Isokinetic muscle strenght and endurance tests analyzed, in sitting position with consentric mode at 60 0/sec and 180 0/sec angular velocities. Each dominant side muscle needled once until the local twitch responses over. After dry needling, baseline tests repeated respectively 72 hours later. Statistical analyses were done by ''IBM SPSS 21'' software program and 0,05 was determined as a significance level (p<0.05). Pain – pressure threshold increased significantly (p=0,015) in semitendinosus-semimembranosus muscle group, while also others tended to increase 3 days after dry needling. Knee extension velocity based propriosepsion approached significantly to target angular velocity (p=0,025). Although isokinetic strength values were not significant, peak torque values tended to decrease for extension and increase for flexion. In endurance tests, there was a significant increase in extension (p = 0.004), flexion (p = 0.015) in the non-dominant leg without dry needling in the total work value, while the increase in the dominant leg was not significant. There was a significant decrease in flexion in both legs at the time of acceleration (p <0.05), but no significant difference in extension values. As a result, it has been observed that dry needling increases the pain threshold of latent trigger points in football players, significantly affects proprioception, and increases isokinetic strength and time parameters in flexion. Keywords: myofascial trigger points, dry needling, pain, strength, proprioception