Botulinum toxin type A and acupuncture for masticatory myofascial pain: a randomized clinical trial

J Appl Oral Sci. 2021 Jun 4;29:e20201035. doi: 10.1590/1678-7757-2020-1035. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: BoNT-A has been widely used for TMD therapy. However, the potential benefits compared to dry needling techniques are not clear. OBJECTIVE: this study aimed to compare the immediate effects of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) injections and Acupuncture in myofascial temporomandibular disorders […]

Dry needling strategies for musculoskeletal conditions: Do the number of needles and needle retention time matter? A narrative literature review

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2021 Apr;26:353-363. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.12.003. Epub 2020 Dec 3. ABSTRACT Acupuncture and dry needling are both minimally invasive procedures that use thin, filiform needles without injectate for the management of a variety of neuromusculoskeletal pain conditions. While the theoretical constructs underlying the use of acupuncture and dry needling are unique, both appear […]

The utilization and effects of filiform dry needling in the management of tendinopathy: a systematic review

Physiother Theory Pract. 2021 Apr 27:1-13. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2021.1920076. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Background: Tendinopathy is frequently associated with pain, soft tissue impairments and muscle performance limitations. Dry needling (DN) incorporates a fine filiform needle to penetrate the skin and underlying soft tissue in an effort to decrease pain and improve function. While injectable interventions […]

Adjusted Indirect and Mixed Comparisons of Conservative Treatments for Hallux Valgus: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 6;18(7):3841. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073841. ABSTRACT Background: Hallux valgus (HV) deformity is a common, potentially debilitating deformity. And evidence with high-quality for the conservative treatments of HV deformity is still required.; AIMS: To compare the effects of different conservative treatments for hallux valgus deformity by using the method of […]

Can Patient Expectations Modulate the Short-Term Effects of Dry Needling on Sensitivity Outcomes in Patients with Mechanical Neck Pain? A Randomised Clinical Trial

Pain Med. 2021 Apr 8:pnab134. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnab134. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Dry needling is commonly used for the management of musculoskeletal pain patients. However, the effects of patient expectations are uncertain. Our aim was to determine the effect of patient expectations on short-term clinical outcomes after the application of a single session of […]

Acute Effects of Dry Needling on Myofascial Trigger Points in the Triceps Surae of Ballet Dancers: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Apr 1;16(2):418-430. doi: 10.26603/001c.21475. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: There is convincing evidence that dancers suffer injuries to the triceps surae musculature. Research on the immediate effects of dry needling (DN) is limited, and it is important to understand the acute effects of this treatment prior to performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of […]

Translational Research and Pain Medicine

Pain Med. 2021 Feb 4;22(1):1-3. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa413. NO ABSTRACT PMID:33367875 | DOI:10.1093/pm/pnaa413

JOSPT Names 2020 Award Recipients

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021 Apr;51(4):155. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2021.0105. ABSTRACT During the American Physical Therapy Association’s virtual Combined Sections Meeting held throughout the month of February 2021, JOSPT recognized the authors of the most outstanding research manuscript published in the Journal in 2020. The JOSPT Guy G. Simoneau Excellence in Research Award was presented to […]

Is Dry Needling Effective for the Management of Plantar Heel Pain or Plantar Fasciitis? An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Pain Med. 2021 Mar 24:pnab114. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnab114. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Dry needling is commonly used for the management of plantar fasciitis. This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of dry needling over trigger points (TrPs) associated with plantar heel pain on pain intensity and related disability or function. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for […]

Effectiveness of Dry Needling with Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation of High Frequency Versus Low Frequency in Patients with Myofascial Neck Pain

Pain Physician. 2021 Mar;24(2):135-143. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Percutaneous nerve electrical stimulation is a novel treatment modality for the management of acute and chronic myofascial pain syndrome. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of dry needling combined with percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of low frequency versus high frequency, in patients with chronic myofascial neck pain. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, […]

Focused ultrasound mechanical disruption of ex vivo rat tendon

IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control. 2021 Apr 23;PP. doi: 10.1109/TUFFC.2021.3075375. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Thirty million tendon injuries occur annually in the US costing $114 billion. Conservative therapies, like dry needling, promote healing in chronically injured tendon by inducing microdamage but have mixed success rates. Focused ultrasound (fUS) therapy can noninvasively fractionate tissues […]

Electromyographic Assessment of the Efficacy of Deep Dry Needling versus the Ischemic Compression Technique in Gastrocnemius of Medium-Distance Triathletes

Sensors (Basel). 2021 Apr 21;21(9):2906. doi: 10.3390/s21092906. ABSTRACT Several studies have shown that gastrocnemius is frequently injured in triathletes. The causes of these injuries are similar to those that cause the appearance of the myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). The ischemic compression technique (ICT) and deep dry needling (DDN) are considered two of the main MPS […]

The challenges of "learning on the go": A qualitative study of final-year Spanish nursing students incorporated to work during the first Covid-19 pandemic

Nurse Educ Today. 2021 May 4;103:104942. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2021.104942. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shortage of qualified nurses in Spain. As a result, the government authorized the hiring of senior students. OBJECTIVES: To explore the perspectives of a group of final-year nursing students who were hired […]

The Effectiveness of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle Dry Needling in Patients with Cervicogenic Headache

Adv Biomed Res. 2021 Feb 26;10:10. doi: 10.4103/abr.abr_138_20. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Cervicogenic headache (CGH) is a secondary headache with a cervical source that radiates pain to the head or face. Accordingly, one reason of CGH is myofascial trigger points. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of one session dry needling […]

Prediction model of rhomboid major and pleura depth based on anthropometric features to decrease the risk of pneumothorax during dry needling

Int J Clin Pract. 2021 Mar 23:e14176. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.14176. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Although mostly common adverse events associated to dry needling can be considered minor, serious adverse events including induced pneumothorax cannot be excluded, and safety instructions for reducing the risk of pleura puncture are needed. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if anthropometric features […]

The effects of dry needling to the thoracolumbar junction multifidi on measures of regional and remote flexibility and pain sensitivity: A randomized controlled trial

Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2021 Mar 21;53:102366. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102366. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Dry needling (DN) has been consistently shown to decrease pain sensitivity and increase flexibility local to the site of treatment, however it is unclear whether these effects are limited to the region of treatment or can be observed remote to the […]

Radial Tunnel Syndrome

Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2021 Apr 23. doi: 10.1007/s12178-021-09703-w. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Radial tunnel syndrome is defined as a compressive neuropathy of the posterior interosseus nerve. It is differentiated from posterior interosseus nerve compression by symptom profile. The purpose of this article is to review past and current literature on the topic […]

The Influence of Verbal Suggestion on Post-Needling Soreness and Pain Processing after Dry Needling Treatment: An Experimental Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 15;18(8):4206. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18084206. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: It remains unclear as to whether verbal suggestions and expectancies can influence the perception of post-needling soreness. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of verbal suggestions on post-needling soreness after dry needling of the trapezius muscle. METHODS: This […]

Evidence review for acupuncture for chronic primary pain: Chronic pain (primary and secondary) in over 16s: assessment of all chronic pain and management of chronic primary pain: Evidence review G

London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK); 2021 Apr. ABSTRACT Acupuncture is one of the treatment modalities many pain sufferers seek or get in contact with whilst living with pain and seeing a variety of healthcare professionals in both publicly funded and private settings. Reasons for getting in contact with an acupuncture therapist […]

Pneumothorax Following Acupuncture

Cureus. 2021 Mar 31;13(3):e14207. doi: 10.7759/cureus.14207. ABSTRACT Pneumothorax, the accumulation of air between the visceral and parietal pleurae, represents a potentially serious cause of chest pain in patients presenting to the emergency department. While there are known risk factors for spontaneous pneumothorax, in rare cases dry needling and acupuncture, forms of complementary and alternative medicine, […]