Dry Needling of the Abductor Hallucis Muscle in Management of Hallux Valgus: Effects on Pain, Function, and Angle

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dry needling (DN) applied to the abductor hallucis (ABH) muscle on pain function and angle in patients with hallux valgus (HV). Methods: The study included 31 HV patients. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. The first group received toe-spread-out (TSO) exercise. The second group received three sessions of DN for myofascial trigger points in the ABH muscle in addition to TSO exercise. Visual analog scale (VAS) (rest, activity) and foot function index (FFI) (pain, disability, activity) were used for clinical evaluation. Hallux valgus angle (HVA) and intermetatarsal angle (HVA) were measured. The evaluations were performed at baseline and at the first and fourth weeks following treatment. Results: VAS-rest baseline-fourth week and baseline-first week changes were significantly superior in the TSO-plus-DN group compared to the TSO group (p = 0.023, p = 0.039, respectively). FFI-disability baseline-fourth week change was significantly superior in the TSO-plus-DN group compared to the TSO group (p = 0.040). HVA and IMA baseline-fourth week changes were significantly superior in the TSO-plus-DN group compared to the TSO group (p = 0.001, p = 0.045, respectively). Conclusions: According to our findings, the combination of DN for the ABH muscle with TSO exercise may be recommended for the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate HV.