Skip to content

The Effect of Dry Needling With Electrical Stimulation on Individuals With Restless Legs Syndrome

The Effect of Dry Needling With Electrical Stimulation on Individuals With Restless Legs Syndrome

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05860751
Enrollment
20
Registered
2023-05-16
Start date
2027-02-01
Completion date
2027-09-01
Last updated
2026-03-16

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Neck Pain

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of dry needling with electrical stimulation (DNES) on sleep quality, symptom severity, and function in individuals with restless legs syndrome.

Interventions

Administered for a total of 2 sessions at a frequency of once per week. The target muscles to be needled will include the gastronemius, soleus, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, anterior tibialis, posterior tibialis, biceps femoris, and gluteus medius.

Sponsors

Mayo Clinic
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 75 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 18-75 years * Clinical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome

Exclusion criteria

* Active cancer diagnoses * Neuropathic pain (e.g., lumbosacral radiculopathy and/or diabetic neuropathy), * Pregnancy * Immunocompromised disease (e.g., HIV, AIDS, lupus) * Insufficient English-language skills to complete all questionnaires * Inability to maintain treatment positions * Contraindications to dry needling:35,36 * Presence of needle phobia * History of abnormal reaction to needling or injection * History of bleeding disorder

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in sleep qualityBaseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks post-interventionMeasured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Self-report questionnaire that measures general sleep quality. The scoring range is 0-21 with 0-3 scoring for each component. Higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.
Change in periodic limb movementBaseline, weekly for 3 weeksMeasured using a consumer-grade sleep tracking device.
Change in Restless Legs Syndrome symptom severityBaseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks post-interventionRLS symptom severity of each participant will be indexed with likert scale ratings and subacutely by completion of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (IRLSRS). The IRLSRS has demonstrated to be a valid and reliable outcome measure for RLS symptom severity. The scale consists of 10 questions concerning each patient's symptoms and the impact of those symptoms on daily activities and mood. Each question contains answers that score from 0 to 4 points, with 0 representing the absence of a problem and 4 representing a very severe problem. Total scores can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in pain levelBaseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks post-interventionMeasured using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), an 11-point numeric scale ranging from '0' representing "no pain" to '10' representing "worst pain imaginable."
Change in quality of lifeBaseline, 4 weeks and 8 weeks post-interventionQuality of life will be measured using the EuroQol (EQ-5D-5L), a self-assessed, health related, quality of life questionnaire. The scale measures quality of life on a 5-component scale including mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Each level is rated on a scale that describes the degree of problems in that area. This tool also has an overall health scale where the rater selects a number between 1-100 to describe the condition of their health, 100 being the best imaginable. The EuroQol has been identified as a valid and reliable outcome measurement for quality of life.
Acute change in Restless Legs Syndrome symptomsBaseline, Immediately post-interventionLikert Scale

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTRay Lunasin, PT, DPT, PhD
lunasin.ray@mayo.edu5075380839
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORRay Lunasin, PT, DPT, PhD

Mayo Clinic

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 17, 2026