Background: In this case report of a 31-year-old female, we describe the effects of
dry needling on
scar tissue following
total hip arthroplasty. Case report: A 31-year-old woman underwent an elective bilateral
total hip replacement due to a motor vehicle accident. Based on physical examination, the patient had
burning pain at the incision site at the time of menstruation and limited hip range of motion worse on the right side. The treatment program consisted of six sessions of
dry needling over a three-week period alongside infrared radiation for 20 minutes during each session. The needles were spaced along the entire length of the
scar tissue and rotation was performed back and forth across the
scar region to release the adhesion between the
scar line and the underlying tissue, focusing more on the painful-to-touch spots and adhesive points. Following the completion of the
dry needling treatments hip range of motion and the patient's functional outcome improved.
Dry needling may be an effective and rapid treatment for
scar tissue adhesion after
surgical procedures. High-quality randomized-controlled studies are needed to verify the efficacy of this method.