title: Treatment of supraspinatus tendinopathy with ultrasound guided dry needling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this case study is to describe the treatment of a patient with tendinopathy using sonographically guided dry needling. Tendinopathies are a highly prevalent problem in musculoskeletal medicine, and no one form of treatment has gained universal acceptance as being superior to another.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 30-year-old woman with a 4-month history of anterolateral right shoulder pain was diagnosed with supraspinatus tendinopathy upon physical examination, which was confirmed with diagnostic sonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sonography was used to guide an acupuncture needle into the pathologic tissue to induce a humoral healing response. Therapeutic exercise was also prescribed. At 10-day follow-up, increased echogenicity was found in the previously heterogenous hypoechoic areas. The patient also experienced a subjective resolution of her shoulder pain, which did not return with increased physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sonographically guided dry needling was shown to be beneficial for this patient as evident by sonographic changes pre- and postprocedure.
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, National University of Health Science, Lombard, IL.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Settergren
keywords: Acupuncture; Rotator cuff; Tendinopathy; Ultrasonography