Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
Ultrasound-Guided Needle Release Combined with Corticosteroid Injection for the Treatment of Supinator Syndrome
Published on: May 26, 2023
Treatment of supraspinatus tendinopathy with ultrasound guided dry needling
1Lecturer, National University of Health Science, Lombard, IL.
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.
Clinical Features:
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.
Intervention And Outcome:
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.
