en پژوهشي Original Research Articles <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objectives:</strong> To investigate the clinical efficacy of physiotherapy with and without superficial&nbsp;dry needling on patients with knee pain; patellofemoral pain syndrome.<br> <strong>Methods:</strong> A randomized clinical trial conducted in 2015, Tehran, Iran. Of patients with&nbsp;patellofemoral pain syndrome, thirty-four subjects were randomly divided into two groups (17&nbsp;in each group). Group A was subjected to physiotherapy and group B to physiotherapy with&nbsp;superficial dry needling. Only for group B, superficial dry needling was applied during the&nbsp;ten-day sessions of physiotherapy, every other day. The needle remained for 6 minutes at threepoints&nbsp;of the quadriceps muscle, accompanied with needle rotation. Both groups received 10&nbsp;therapy sessions. For both groups, in the first and tenth sessions, knee pain and quadriceps&nbsp;muscle strength was evaluated.<br> <strong>Results: </strong>Statistical analysis showed the two variables in each group had significant&nbsp;improvements after the 10 sessions (P<0.05). Comparing the two groups, group B showed&nbsp;more pain reduction based on the visual analog scale (P<0.05). However, according to manual&nbsp;muscle testing method, the muscle strength between both the groups showed no significant<br> difference (P<0.156).<br> <strong>Discussion:</strong> Physiotherapy with and without superficial dry needling were seen to reduce&nbsp;pain and increase muscle strength of patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome. However,&nbsp;performing physiotherapy with superficial dry needling had a more significant effect on&nbsp;reducing knee pain. Superficial needling can cause many physiological and neurophysiological&nbsp;effects. Through stimulation of pain control mechanisms, it can help in further reduction of&nbsp;pain.</p> Pain, Muscle strength, Knee joint, Physiotherapy, Needles, Clinical trial 23 30 http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-201-6&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Hamideh Miri Abyaneh No Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Zahra Mosallanezhad zmosallanezhad@yahoo.com Yes Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Hooman Mohammadalizade No Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Enayatollah Bakhshi No Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ghazaleh Vahedi No Department of Sport Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Reza Nourbakhsh No Department of Physiotherapy, University of North Georgia, Georgia, USA.