The Effects of Dry Needling and Tecar Therapy on Post-Exercise Gastrocnemius Muscle Recovery in Mixed Martial Arts and Crossfit Athletes
(Adrian Kużdżał, Gracjan Olaniszyn, Małgorzta Smoter, Adam Kawczyński, Filipe Manuel Clemente, Robert Trybulski)

This study investigated the recovery effects of combining dry needling (DN) with Tecar therapy (T) compared to each treatment alone on gastrocnemius muscle recovery in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and CrossFit athletes after a fatigue protocol. Forty-eight athletes were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: DN/T, DN/sham T, shamDN/T, and a control group. DN involved needling three trigger points per muscle, while Tecar therapy used electromagnetic waves applied via capacitive transfer. Assessments of perfusion (PU), elasticity (ME), the pain threshold (PPT), and the reactive strength index (RSI) were taken at rest, post-fatigue, post-treatment, and 48 hours post-treatment. A mixed ANCOVA showed the DN/T group had significantly higher PU scores post-treatment compared to all other groups (p < 0.001). ME was significantly lower in the DN/T group at both post-treatment and 48 hours into recovery (p < 0.05). PPT was significantly higher in the DN/T group at both time points, particularly compared to the control condition (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). The RSI was also significantly higher in the DN/T group at both time points compared to all other groups (p < 0.001). In conclusion, combining DN with T demonstrated superior recovery benefits for blood perfusion, muscle elasticity, the pain threshold, and reactive strength compared to either treatment alone or control, suggesting a synergistic effect beneficial for athletes' muscle recovery.