Western medical acupuncture techniques for pain management in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Front Med (Lausanne). 2026 Feb 17;13:1737602. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1737602. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain can undermine athletic performance. Medical procedures that fall under Western medical acupuncture (WMA) such as dry needling, grounded in conventional scientific principles, represent a promising adjunct to conventional pain treatments. However, its effectiveness among athletes remains unclear. To address this gap, […]
