Dry needling involves the use of a fine, solid filiform needle which are also used in acupuncture. Dry needling differs to acupuncture in that it is targeting a specific anatomical structure whereas acupuncture targets a meridian; a concept in Chinese medicine relating to life-energy.
Dry needling is a treatment for pain and appear to work by reducing sensitivity in the nervous system (Fernandez-de-Las-Penas 2019). Dry needling has been shown to be more effective than other treatments in reducing pain for some conditions (Vier 2019). Dry needling is minimally invasive, safe and inexpensive (Stoychev 2020).
Dry needling has been shown to be effective in treating:
- Headaches (Gilder 2019)
- Neck Muscle Pain (Sanchez-Infante 2021)
- Tennis Elbow (Mishra 2013, McShane 2008)
- Rotator Cuff Tendon Pain (Rha 2013)
- Achilles Tendon Pain (Bell 2013)
- Patellar Tendon Pain (Dragoo 2014)
- Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome/Bursitis (Jacobson 2016)
- Knee Osteoarthritis (Witt 2005)
- Facial/Jaw Pain (Vier 2019)
- Post-Stroke Muscle Tightness (Fernandez-de-Las-Penas 2021)
- Hip movement restriction associated with hip osteoarthritis (Ceballos-Laita 2022)
- Plantar Fasciitis (He and Ma 2017)
The effects of dry needling are typically short-term (approximately 1 week) and need to be combined with a comprehensive management program, including progressive exercise to ensure long term resolution. The advantage that dry needling provides is that it allows for people to improve function and perform their rehabilitation with reduced pain.
