This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of dry needling in women with provoked vestibulodynia. Forty-six women diagnosed with provoked vestibulodynia were randomized to receive six weekly sessions of either real or sham dry needling (DN). Participants, investigators and data analysts were blinded. Feasibility outcomes (adherence to treatment, questionnaire completion and dropout rate) and side effects were measured throughout the study. Pain intensity during intercourse (0-10 numeric rating scale) was measured at baseline and posttreatment, and acceptability (questionnaire) was assessed at posttreatment. Women in the realDN group attended 99% of the planned treatment sessions, compared to 91% in the shamDN group. Additionally, 100% of the questionnaires were completed in the realDN group, compared to 93% in the shamDN group. All participants in the realDN group completed the study. In contrast, two participants in the shamDN group withdrew. For the main side effects, 96% of the participants in the realDN group and 52% in the shamDN group experienced muscle aches (p<.001). Moreover, 35% experienced autonomic reactions in the realDN group, while these were not observed in the shamDN group (p<.001). All participants reported high levels of acceptability across all dimensions, with no significant difference between groups. The realDN group showed a significant decrease in pain intensity compared to the shamDN group (mean difference between groups 2.4; 95%CI 1.4-3.3; p<.001). Our findings support the feasibility and acceptability of dry needling to treat women with provoked vestibulodynia and showed a significant effect in reducing pain. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents the results of a novel study examining the feasibility and acceptability of using dry needling to treat women suffering from provoked vestibulodynia and lays the groundwork to inform a future randomized controlled trial.
| Discipline Area | Score |
|---|---|
| Physician |  |
| Rehab Clinician (OT/PT) | |
Physician rater
An interesting study but it is difficult to understand how it is different from acupuncture. Needs a lot of experience before even thinking of practicing it.
Physician rater
Dry needling shows feasibility, high acceptability, and superior pain reduction for provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) compared with sham treatment in this RCT. The trial highlights effective targeting of myofascial trigger points to address increased tone and pain referral patterns common in PVD. A larger efficacy RCT is required, potentially incorporating dry needling into multimodal rehabilitation for PVD, especially for persistent dyspareunia resistant to other therapies. Clinicians might adopt it as an adjunct to pelvic floor therapy, given the 54% pain reduction and trend towards improved sexual function, but should pair it with psychosexual education for sustained benefits. Future protocols should evaluate long-term effects, diverse populations, and combination approaches to optimise tone reduction and function in chronic pelvic pain.
Rehab Clinician (OT/PT) rater
As a clinician that provides virtual care to patients with a diversity of diagnoses including chronic pain and pelvic floor issues, this provided me with more information on the importance of physio in this area and the growing research that is helping patients with relevant conditions.
, McMaster University