Neurophysiological Effects of Latent Trigger Point Dry Needling on Spinal Reflexes

J Neurophysiol. 2024 Dec 20. doi: 10.1152/jn.00366.2024. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Deep dry needling (DDN) is a method to treat muscle trigger points (TrPs) often found in persons with neuromuscular pain and spasticity. Currently, its neurophysiological actions are not well established. Thus, to understand how DDN affects spinal cord physiology, we investigated the effects […]

Analysis of Dry Needling Combined with an Exercise Program in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

J Clin Med. 2024 Nov 26;13(23):7157. doi: 10.3390/jcm13237157. ABSTRACT Background: Therapeutic exercise is recommended for people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), although it could be complemented with other treatments such as dry needling (DN). The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the resulting data on pain, functionality, strength and range of motion in […]

Adverse Reactions to Dry Needling Therapy: Insights from Polish Physiotherapy Practice

J Clin Med. 2024 Nov 21;13(23):7032. doi: 10.3390/jcm13237032. ABSTRACT Background/Objectives: The current study aimed to characterize the adverse reactions associated with dry needling (DN) treatments reported by Polish physiotherapists, with a secondary objective of investigating whether the level of DN experience influences the occurrence of these adverse effects. Methods: A total of 102 Polish physiotherapists, […]

Study on the Effectiveness of Ultrasound-guided Pulsed Radiofrequency Therapy for Shoulder Pain Caused by Trigger Points

Clin J Pain. 2024 Dec 17. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000001265. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: This study compares ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency (UG-PRF) with ultrasound-guided dry needling (UG-DN) for treating painful shoulder periarthritis. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with painful shoulder periarthritis were chosen from the Pain Department of the Sixth People’s Hospital of Nantong City between August 2022 […]

Electromyographic Activity of Cervical Muscles in Patients with Neck Pain and Changes After Dry Needling: A Narrative Review

J Clin Med. 2024 Nov 30;13(23):7288. doi: 10.3390/jcm13237288. ABSTRACT Neck pain can be associated with specific conditions, such as neurological disorders, vascular or inflammatory diseases, fractures, herniated discs, etc. However, the majority of neck pain cases cannot be attributed to a specific cause. The objective of this review is to describe the muscle dysfunctions associated […]

Observation on the clinical effect of He’s fire needle therapy combined with walnut-shell moxibustion on perimenopausal dry eye disease

Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2024 Dec 9;49(12):1303-1309. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20230536. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: To observe the clinical effect on perimenopausal dry eye disease treated with He’s fire needle therapy combined with walnut-shell moxibustion. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with perimenopausal dry eye disease were randomized into an observation group (30 cases) and a control group (30 […]

Effects of high and low level lasers on soreness following dry needling in patients with chronic myofascial neck pain. A randomized-controlled trial

Lasers Med Sci. 2024 Dec 16;39(1):296. doi: 10.1007/s10103-024-04201-0. ABSTRACT This research was designed to study effects of high versus low-level laser therapy (HILT and LLLT) on post-dry needling soreness (PNS) at patients with chronic neck pain. We also studied effects of HLLT or LLLT application plus dry needling (DN) on pain, range of motion (ROM), […]

Effectiveness of static, dynamic and combined dry needling techniques in the management of myofascial pain syndrome: A three-group study

Turk J Phys Med Rehabil. 2024 Aug 26;70(3):370-378. doi: 10.5606/tftrd.2024.14310. eCollection 2024 Sep. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate and compare the therapeutic effectiveness of static dry needling (S-DN), dynamic dry needling (D-DN), and a combined technique (CT) for managing myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1, 2023 and April 15, […]

Dry Needling Plus Cervical Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections: Do We Have More Favorable Results in Cervical Disc Herniation? A Randomized Sham-Controlled Clinical Study

Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2024 Dec 1;103(12):1081-1087. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002509. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Trigger point-related myofascial pain commonly accompanies cervical disc herniation. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of dry needling for accompanying trigger points on cervical interlaminar epidural steroid injection treatment outcomes. DESIGN: Among the patients scheduled for interlaminar epidural steroid […]

Combination of Manual Therapy and Dry Needling Effectively Improves Acute Neck Pain and Muscular Tone and Stiffness in Combat Sports Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Study

J Sports Sci Med. 2024 Dec 1;23(4):852-862. doi: 10.52082/jssm.2024.852. eCollection 2024 Dec. ABSTRACT This study aimed to compare the effects of manual therapy combined with dry needling (MTDN) to a control group, focusing on the impact on pressure pain threshold (PPT), muscle tone (MT), muscle stiffness (MS), muscle strength, and range of motion in the […]

Dry needling in people with fibromyalgia: A randomized controlled trial of its effects on pain sensitivity and pain catastrophizing influence

PM R. 2024 Dec 6. doi: 10.1002/pmrj.13289. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Dry needling (DN) has been demonstrated as an effective treatment for patients with fibromyalgia (FM). It is crucial to take into consideration catastrophizing, a psychological construct that could potentially undermine the short-term efficacy of DN. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of DN […]

Dry needling as an adjunct treatment to multimodal rehabilitation protocol following rotator cuff repair surgery: a preliminary, randomized sham-controlled trial

Chiropr Man Therap. 2024 Dec 5;32(1):39. doi: 10.1186/s12998-024-00555-y. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff repair (RCR) is one of the most prevalent procedures to manage rotator cuff tears (RCT). Postoperative shoulder pain is a common complication following RCR and may be aggravated by activation of myofascial trigger points (MTrP) associated with the injury to the soft tissues […]

Effectiveness of deep dry needling combined with stretching for the treatment of pain in patients with myofascial trigger points: A systematic review and meta-analysis

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:1086-1092. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.003. Epub 2024 Jul 14. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The combination of dry needling and stretching has been proposed for the treatment of myofascial trigger points (MTPs), but it is not currently known whether the combination of both interventions would be of greater interest than the application of stretching alone. […]

The effect of upper trapezius trigger points dry needling on postural control in patients with chronic neck pain

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:1079-1085. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.015. Epub 2024 Jul 15. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Myofascial neck pain, which strongly affects the upper trapezius muscle, is treated by physiotherapists with dry needling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of upper trapezius trigger points (TrPs) dry needling on postural control and balance in […]

Does dry needling aid in post-training recovery? A critically appraised topic

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:1093-1096. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.017. Epub 2024 Jul 9. ABSTRACT CLINICAL SCENARIO: Following intense physical training, it is common for athletes to develop muscle soreness, muscle tightness and a sense of fatigue. Minimizing the time spent in this state is advantageous to limit time off from sport, potential injury and lack of […]

Current State of Dry Needling Practices: A Comprehensive Analysis on Use, Training, and Safety

Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Nov 14;60(11):1869. doi: 10.3390/medicina60111869. ABSTRACT Background and Objectives: Dry needling (DN) is a technique that involves inserting a thin filament needle through the skin to target myofascial trigger points for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. Despite its efficacy in a broad plethora of musculoskeletal pain conditions, its safety remains a […]

Acute effects of self-myofascial release compared to dry needling on myofascial pain syndrome related outcomes: Range of motion, muscle soreness and performance. A randomized controlled trial

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:632-639. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.04.005. Epub 2024 Apr 10. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is associated with reductions in range of movement (ROM), decrease in physical function and performance and increase in pain in different populations. Elucidating the best prevention and treatment strategies for MPS has been one of the main […]

Optimizing dry needling for chronic low back pain: A novel approach to treatment site selection: A randomized controlled trial

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:2113-2119. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.10.051. Epub 2024 Oct 21. NO ABSTRACT PMID:39593573 | DOI:10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.10.051

Comparison of dry needling with exercise and exercise alone on spasticity, range of motion, and function of post-stroke chronic spastic patients

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:1295-1301. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.07.046. Epub 2024 Jul 25. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Stroke is a common cause of disability and death in adults, with spasticity being a common post-stroke complication that can significantly affect patients’ quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the impact of exercise therapy alone versus exercise therapy combined […]

A novel dry needling approach treating subacromial pain syndrome to significantly improve function and reduce pain following plateau with progress using conventional physical therapy interventions: A case report

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2024 Oct;40:1561-1566. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.08.006. Epub 2024 Aug 10. ABSTRACT There is limited high level research supporting the use of dry needling for mechanical shoulder pain. Dry needling is often used as an adjunct or primary treatment for musculoskeletal pain to address impairments related to muscle pain, range of motion (ROM), and […]