Inclusion criteria:
Pain in the anterior part of the knee or the posterior part or border of the patella on one side, which is caused or aggravated by at least two of the following activities: prolonged sitting, prolonged kneeling, squatting, running, hopping, climbing or descending from the stairs
Age between 17 and 45 years
Presence of at least one trigger point in the gastrocnemius muscle of the involved side
Positive glide patella test
Presence of symptoms for at least 3 months
The average pain intensity in the last week is more than 3 out of 10 based on the VAS scale
Exclusion criteria:
Radiological findings that indicate osteoarthritis
History of knee injury, including ligament sprain, meniscus injury, or other intra-articular disorders
Sensitivity when touching the patella tendon or Pes anserinus muscle tendon
History of knee fracture, patellar dislocation, or lower limb surgery during the past year
Existence of musculoskeletal disorders such as disc protrusion or spondylolisthesis, severe structural disorder of the lower limb such as hip or knee osteoarthritis, having a prosthesis
Existence of metabolic or neurological disorders such as diabetes, radicular pain or sensory disturbances
Existence of systemic diseases or connective tissue disorders
Contraindications of dry needling, such as cardiovascular and coagulation problems, pregnancy, cancer and fear of needles
The experience of receiving dry needling so far for any part of the body
Receiving physiotherapy treatment for knee pain in the last three months