Exploring the Underlying Mechanisms of Action of Dry Needling: What Is the Immediate Effect on Muscle Electrophysiology? An Experimental Randomized Controlled Trial

Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2022 Jan 1;101(1):18-25. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001732. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Dry needling is a commonly used treatment technique for myofascial pain syndromes, such as trapezius myalgia. Despite the shown positive clinical effects on pain, the underlying mechanisms of action, such as the effect on muscle electrophysiology, remain unclear. The aim of this study […]

The Effect of Dry Needling on Pain, Range of Motion of Ankle Joint, and Ultrasonographic Changes of Plantar Fascia in Patients With Plantar Fasciitis

J Sport Rehabil. 2021 Dec 15:1-6. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2021-0156. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT CONTEXT: Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a common and devastating disease. Despite different treatments, there is no clear evidence for the effect of these treatments on PF. One of the therapy methods used in physiotherapy is dry needling (DN). So the purpose of […]

Dorsal dry needling to the pronator quadratus muscle is a safe and valid technique: A cadaveric study

Physiother Theory Pract. 2022 Jan 29:1-5. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2022.2031365. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The pronator quadratus (PQ) muscle is an important stabilizer of the distal radio-ulnar joint and its pain referral pattern can mimic median or ulnar neuropathy. Research on treatment safety and efficacy with dry needling is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To determine if a […]

A Case-Series of Dry Needling as an Immediate Sensory Integration Intervention

J Man Manip Ther. 2021 Dec 13:1-7. doi: 10.1080/10669817.2021.2011556. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) has been associated with altered cortical mapping in the primary somatosensory cortex. Various sensory discrimination treatments have been explored to positively influence CLBP by targeting cortical maps. OBJECTIVES: To determine if dry needling (DN) applied […]

The importance of the local twitch response during needling interventions in spinal pain associated with myofascial trigger points: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Acupunct Med. 2021 Dec 13:9645284211056346. doi: 10.1177/09645284211056346. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects of needling interventions eliciting local twitch responses (LTRs) versus needling without eliciting LTRs when applied to muscle trigger points (TrPs) associated with spinal pain of musculoskeletal origin. DATABASES AND DATA TREATMENT: Electronic databases were searched for randomized […]

Dry needling increases antioxidant activity and grip force in a rat model of muscle pain

Acupunct Med. 2021 Dec 11:9645284211056941. doi: 10.1177/09645284211056941. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Muscle pain syndromes (MPS) are one of the main causes of functional, structural and metabolic problems, being associated with tissue oxidative damage. Although dry needling is widely used in the treatment of MPS, there is little scientific evidence of its efficacy and […]

The effects of dry needling on the thumb: A case report

Hong Kong J Occup Ther. 2021 Dec;34(2):132-136. doi: 10.1177/15691861211043687. Epub 2021 Dec 20. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Dry needling has been identified as a potential intervention for a variety of diagnoses. Limited evidence exists to support the use of dry needling following surgical intervention of a distal radius fracture. This case report demonstrates the impact of dry […]

Effects of dry needling and stretching exercise versus stretching exercise only on pain intensity, function, and sonographic characteristics of plantar fascia in the subjects with plantar fasciitis: a parallel single-blinded randomized controlled trial

Physiother Theory Pract. 2022 Jan 31:1-14. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2021.2023930. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: Plantar fasciitis is a common problem in the foot region which has negative considerable impact on foot function. METHODS: In this parallel blinded randomized controlled trial, a total of thirty-seven subjects with plantar fasciitis (forty feet) were enrolled randomly to either […]

Electrical Dry Needling Plus Corticosteroid Injection for Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2022 Jan 25:S0003-9993(22)00158-7. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.12.026. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of electrical dry needling (DN) plus corticosteroid injection (CSI) on pain, physical function, and global change in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee (KOA). DESIGN: A prospective, single-blinded, randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Pain treatment clinic. PARTICIPANTS: […]

Autologous Blood Injection With Dry-Needling vs Dry-Needling Alone Treatment for Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Foot Ankle Int. 2022 Jan 24:10711007211061365. doi: 10.1177/10711007211061365. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Autologous blood injection (ABI) for patients with chronic plantar fasciitis has been promoted as an approach to improve outcomes over standard dry-needling approaches. The purpose of this trial was to investigate if there are improved outcomes following an ultrasonography-guided ABI compared […]

Effects of previous experience with dry needling therapy on blinding effectiveness and pain outcomes in people with neck pain: A preliminary sham-controlled study

Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2022 Jan 21;58:102515. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2022.102515. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Participants’ previous experience with an intervention may be an important variable when conducting sham-controlled trials. OBJECTIVE: This study explored if previous experience with dry needling (DN) influenced blinding effectiveness and pain outcomes, after the application of DN in patients with neck […]

Cost-Effectiveness of Upper Extremity Dry Needling in Chronic Stroke

Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Jan 14;10(1):160. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10010160. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Dry needling is a non-pharmacological approach that has proven to be effective in different neurological conditions. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a single dry needling session in patients with chronic stroke. METHODS: A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed based on […]

Dry Needling and Antithrombotic Drugs

Pain Res Manag. 2022 Jan 7;2022:1363477. doi: 10.1155/2022/1363477. eCollection 2022. ABSTRACT Many clinicians increasingly use dry needling in clinical practice. However, whether patients’ intake of antithrombotic drugs should be considered as a contraindication for dry needling has not been investigated to date. As far as we know, there are no publications in analyzing the intake […]

Effects of dry needling on function, hypertonia and quality of life in chronic stroke: a randomized clinical trial

Acupunct Med. 2021 Dec 13:9645284211056347. doi: 10.1177/09645284211056347. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Persons with stroke commonly have impairments associated with a reduction in functionality. Motor impairments are the most prevalent, causing an impact on activities of daily life. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a session of dry […]

Ultrasound guided dry needling: Relevance in chronic pain

J Postgrad Med. 2022 Jan-Mar;68(1):1-9. doi: 10.4103/jpgm.jpgm_710_21. NO ABSTRACT PMID:35073681 | DOI:10.4103/jpgm.jpgm_710_21

Comparative Effect of Dry Needling and Neural Mobilization on Pain, Strength, Range of Motion, and Quality of Life in Patients With Lateral Epicondylitis: Protocol for Randomized Clinical Trial

J Chiropr Med. 2021 Jun;20(2):77-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2021.09.001. Epub 2021 Dec 15. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe a study protocol that will aim to assess the effectiveness of adding dry needling or neural mobilization to conventional physiotherapy in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. METHODS: We propose to conduct a 2-group, participant-blinded, […]

Trigger point injections and dry needling can be effective in treating long COVID syndrome-related myalgia: a case report

J Med Case Rep. 2022 Jan 17;16(1):31. doi: 10.1186/s13256-021-03239-w. ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Myofascial pain is a complex health condition that affects the majority of the general population. Myalgia has been recognized as a symptom of long COVID syndrome. The treatment for long COVID syndrome-related myalgia lacks research. Dry needling is a technique that involves the insertion […]

Immediate Effect of Dry Needling at Myofascial Trigger Point on Hand Spasticity in Chronic Post-stroke Patients: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Front Neurol. 2021 Oct 29;12:745618. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.745618. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Background: Hand spasticity after stroke influences the rehabilitation of hand function. Immediate and effective relief of spasticity potentially creates conditions for later rehabilitation training, which has far-reaching significance in the smooth transition of patients to the recovery period. Objective: To evaluate the immediate effect of […]

The effect of one dry needling session on pain, central pain processing, muscle co-contraction and gait characteristics in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial

Scand J Pain. 2021 Sep 30. doi: 10.1515/sjpain-2021-0091. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: To assess the immediate and three days postintervention effect of one dry needling session compared to one sham needling session on pain, central pain processing, muscle co-contraction and spatiotemporal parameters during gait in knee osteoarthritis patients. METHODS: A double-blind randomized controlled […]

Acute and Short-Term Effects of Dry Needling in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain and Hamstring Tightness: A Pilot Study

ScientificWorldJournal. 2021 Nov 20;2021:7259956. doi: 10.1155/2021/7259956. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP) is one of the common health issues. Hamstring tightness contributes to the development of LBP. This study aimed to investigate the acute and short-term effects of deep dry needling (DN) in patients with chronic nonspecific LBP and hamstring muscle […]