title: Spinal cord mechanism involving the remote effects of dry needling on the irritability of myofascial trigger spots in rabbit skeletal muscle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the remote effects produced by dry needling rabbit skeletal muscle myofascial trigger spots (MTrSs) via analyses of their endplate noise (EPN) recordings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental animal controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  An animal laboratory of a university.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male New Zealand rabbits (N=96) (body weight, 2.5-3.0kg; age, 16-20wk).
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals received no intervention for neural interruption in group I, transection of the tibial nerve in group II, transection of L5 and L6 spinal cord in group III, and transection of the T1 and T2 spinal cord in group IV. Each group was further divided into 4 subgroups: animals received ipsilateral dry needling, contralateral dry needling, ipsilateral sham needling, or contralateral sham needling of gastrocnemius MTrSs.
  
  
  METHODS
  EPN amplitudes of biceps femoris (BF) MTrSs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BF MTrS mean EPN amplitudes significantly increased (P<.05) initially after gastrocnemius verum needling but reduced to a level significantly lower (P<.05) than the preneedling level in groups I and IV with ipsilateral dry needling or contralateral dry needling, and in group II with contralateral dry needling (but not ipsilateral dry needling). No significant EPN amplitude changes were observed in BF MTrS in group III or in the control animals receiving superficial needling (sham).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This remote effect of dry needling depends on an intact afferent pathway from the stimulating site to the spinal cord and a normal spinal cord function at the levels corresponding to the innervation of the proximally affected muscle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yueh-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Yie-San
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Joe
authors.forename: Chang-Zern
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D008297:Male; D009045:Motor Endplate / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D009209:Myofascial Pain Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009339:Needles; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011817:Rabbits; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*