Development and testing of a device to detect trigger points, and local twitch responses in dry needling intervention

MethodsX. 2024 Nov 12;14:103033. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.103033. eCollection 2025 Jun. ABSTRACT Trigger point dry needling (TrpDN) has emerged as a promising intervention for the treatment of myofascial pain. This involves insertion of a sterile filament needle directly into the trigger point (Trp), with the aim of eliciting a local twitch response (LTR). This sudden, involuntary contraction […]

An overlooked cause of hand pain: myofascial trigger points in the interosseous muscles

J Ultrason. 2025 Feb 19;25(100):20250004. doi: 10.15557/JoU.2025.0004. eCollection 2025 Jan. NO ABSTRACT PMID:39981121 | PMC:PMC11841738 | DOI:10.15557/JoU.2025.0004

Comparison of the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy and trigger point dry needling in the treatment of Calcaneal Epin- A randomized trial

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2025 Feb 19:10538127251317864. doi: 10.1177/10538127251317864. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Dry needling (DN) and Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) are common in calcaneal epin treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the effects of both treatments on proprioception, balance, pain, and functional status. METHODS: 90 patients which […]

Effectiveness of self-management programmes for athletes with patellofemoral pain syndrome: A systematic review

S Afr J Sports Med. 2025 Feb 15;37(1):v37i1a18648. doi: 10.17159/2078-516X/2025/v37i1a18648. eCollection 2025. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common condition that can severely hinder an athlete’s ability to perform and compete at their full potential and overall well-being. The emergence of self-management programmes presents a potential treatment avenue for athletes with PFPS. Self-management […]

Periosteal Electrical Dry Needling Efficacy in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2025 Feb 15;29(1):48. doi: 10.1007/s11916-025-01362-7. ABSTRACT PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Osteoarthritis is a “wear and tear” injury characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage, formation of osteophytes, microfractures, and sclerosis. These physiological changes result in joint pain, stiffness, and deformity. One potential treatment for this is periosteal electrical dry needling. RECENT FINDINGS: We […]

Dry needling of the gluteus-medius muscle, combined with standard care, for chronic low back pain – a pilot randomized sham-controlled trial

J Man Manip Ther. 2025 Feb 15:1-9. doi: 10.1080/10669817.2025.2465726. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Individuals with low back pain (LBP) often exhibit weakness and the presence of trigger points in their Gluteus Medius (GMe) muscle. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness of adding dry needling (DN) for the GMe to standard care of active physical […]

When a Toothache Isn’t Your Teeth? 🦷🧠 | Clinical Relevance with Dr. Frank

In this Clinical Relevance video, I share my personal experience with unexplained facial pain—and how dry needling targeted the root cause: neurogenic inflammation. Let’s break down the science, my self-treatment approach, and why this matters for your practice. The Mystery: Unexplained Facial Pain Last December, I woke up with a deep, aching pain in my […]

The effects of dry needling on muscle blood flow of the infraspinatus muscle in individuals with shoulder pain – a randomized clinical trial

J Man Manip Ther. 2025 Feb 10:1-10. doi: 10.1080/10669817.2025.2464542. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Individuals with shoulder pain have a higher occurrence of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). In the past decade, dry needling (DN) has been used in physical therapy practice to treat MTrPs. Impaired blood flow is proposed as an underlying mechanism of […]

An overlooked cause of upper extremity pain: myofascial trigger points of the triceps muscle and dry needling protocol

Pain Manag. 2025 Feb 10:1-3. doi: 10.1080/17581869.2025.2464526. Online ahead of print. NO ABSTRACT PMID:39929751 | DOI:10.1080/17581869.2025.2464526

Dry Needling in Sports and Sport Recovery: A Systematic Review with an Evidence Gap Map

Sports Med. 2025 Feb 10. doi: 10.1007/s40279-025-02175-9. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Dry needling is an increasingly popular technique used in sports and regenerative medicine contexts. However, there is no comprehensive overview of investigations of dry needling in sports and sport recovery. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to perform a systematic review of dry needling […]

Dry Needling and Its Application in Dentistry: A Review

J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2024 Dec;16(Suppl 4):S3031-S3033. doi: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_799_24. Epub 2024 Aug 12. ABSTRACT Dry needling is a technique increasingly being used across various medical and therapeutic fields, including dentistry. It involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points in muscles or tissues to alleviate pain and promote healing. This paper explores the application […]

The Effectiveness of Acupuncture on Myofascial Trigger Points Versus Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupoints for Treating Plantar Fasciitis With Low Back Pain: A Study Protocol for a Randomised Clinical Trial

J Pain Res. 2025 Jan 28;18:497-506. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S492541. eCollection 2025. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain, often associated with a higher rate of low back pain. This increased disability rate in low back pain may be correlated with reduced foot and ankle function. While both acupuncture and trigger point dry […]

Image-guided Interventions for Core Muscle Injury and Other Disorders in the Pubic Symphysis

Radiographics. 2025 Feb;45(2):e240148. doi: 10.1148/rg.240148. ABSTRACT Formerly termed sports hernia or athletic pubalgia, core muscle injury (CMI) encompasses abnormality of structures within the so-called core, which is essentially the hip, abdomen, and pubis. Compared with data on image-guided procedures of other joints, information regarding procedures performed to address CMI and other disorders of the pubic […]

Clinical Relevance of Neural Tension and Dry Needling

How Dry Needling Addresses Neural Tension: A Case Study in Cervicogenic Headaches & Low Back Pain 🧠 Hi everyone, Dr. David Griswold here! If you’ve ever struggled with stubborn pain cases where nothing seems to work, this approach might be a game-changer. In this Clinical Relevance video, we explore how neurologic dry needling can resolve […]

Orphan muscle of groin pain: ultrasound imaging of the pectineus muscle

J Ultrason. 2024 Dec 31;24(99):1-2. doi: 10.15557/jou.2024.0040. eCollection 2024 Dec. NO ABSTRACT PMID:39839503 | PMC:PMC11748196 | DOI:10.15557/jou.2024.0040

Effect of dry needling, ischemic compression and cross-taping of the masseter in patients with orofacial myofascial pain: a randomized comparative study

Front Oral Health. 2025 Jan 7;5:1524496. doi: 10.3389/froh.2024.1524496. eCollection 2024. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Temporomandibular disorders, of multifactorial etiology, refer to a series of pathologies that affect the temporomandibular joint and the associated musculature of the orofacial region and are the result of alterations in the physiological relationships of the stomatognathic system, responsible for functions […]

Therapeutic effects of dry needling for patellofemoral pain syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2025 Jan 16;59:101938. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2025.101938. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dry needling has been increasingly used as an adjunctive therapy for patellofemoral pain syndrome in clinical practice. This study aimed to summarize the available evidence about the effects of dry needling in managing patellofemoral pain syndrome. METHODS: Seven […]

Unnecessary Needling: A Case of Iatrogenic Pneumothorax Following Dry Needling Procedure for Chronic Myofascial Pain

Cureus. 2024 Dec 20;16(12):e76055. doi: 10.7759/cureus.76055. eCollection 2024 Dec. ABSTRACT This case report highlights a complication of pneumothorax associated with dry needling (DN), a technique used for the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome and musculoskeletal disorders. Despite its growing popularity and efficacy in relieving pain, dry needling can lead to adverse events. We present a […]

Evaluation of lignocaine HCl as a therapeutic and diagnostic tool in myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome and internal derangement

Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2024 Sep-Dec;15(3):499-504. doi: 10.4103/njms.njms_27_24. Epub 2024 Nov 16. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Myofascial pain syndrome MPS is one of the most common causes of chronic musculoskeletal pain. It clinically presents with hypersensitive points in the muscle called “trigger points”. Most of the time it remains undiagnosed/undertreated and this leads to severity in symptoms. […]

Comparative study between fractional CO2 laser (10,600 nm) and microneedling in treatment of morphea: dermoscopic and histopathological evaluation

Arch Dermatol Res. 2025 Jan 18;317(1):276. doi: 10.1007/s00403-024-03674-x. ABSTRACT Morphea is a chronic inflammatory fibrosing disorder. Since fibrosis is the hallmark of both scars and morphea, our attention was raised for the possible use of Fractional Ablative CO2 lasers and microneedling as treatment modalities for morphea. To compare the efficacy and safety of Fractional Ablative […]