Publications
The Effects of Dry Needling and Tecar Therapy on Post-Exercise Gastrocnemius Muscle Recovery in Mixed Martial Arts and Crossfit Athletes
Authors: Adrian Kuzdzal 1, Gracjan Olaniszyn 2, 3, Malgorzta Smoter 4, Adam Kawczynski 5, Filipe Manuel Clemente 6, 7, 8, Robert Trybulski 3, 9
Affiliations:
- Institute of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences and Psychology, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
- Olaniszyn Physiotherapy Centre, Raciborz, Poland
- Faculty of Medicine, Katowice Business University, Katowice, Poland
- Department of Basic Physiotherapy, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdansk, Poland
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland
- Applied Research Institute (i2A), Polytechnic University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Sport Physical Activity and Health Research & Innovation Center, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Biomechanics and Sport Engineering, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdansk, Poland
- Provita Zory Medical Center, Zory, Poland
Journal: Journal of Human Kinetics - August 2026, In Press (DOI: 10.5114/jhk/219033)
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Field & Applications:
- Sport
- Treatment evaluation
- Warm-up / Recovery
- Fatigue / Overtraining
Myoton Clarification Note: A Guide to Interpreting the Inverse Relationship Between Logarithmic Decrement and Tissue Elasticity
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.
Keywords: recovery, muscle pain, tissue perfusion, muscle strength, exercise
In conclusion, this study suggests the superior effectiveness of DN with Tecar therapy for enhancing recovery across PU, ME, the PPT and the RSI in athletes subjected to a fatigue protocol. The DN/T combination proved consistently more efficient than individual treatments in improving blood perfusion, muscle elasticity, the pressure pain threshold, and reactive strength, both immediately post-treatment and at 48 hours into recovery. These findings suggest that the synergistic effects of DN and Tecar therapy not only support short-term recovery, but also promote sustained improvements in muscle function and performance. The results also highlight the potential of DN/T as an effective intervention for optimizing recovery in athletes engaged in high-intensity training and competition.