Are Dry Needling & Acupuncture the Same?

Dry needling and acupuncture treatments use thin needles a little larger than the width of a human hair

With dry needling and acupuncture increasing in popularity and being performed more commonly by a variety of health care providers, we are hearing more questions about these drug-free treatments. Dry needling and acupuncture are similar, but there are distinct differences.

Whereas acupuncture is one of several approaches within Traditional Chinese Medicine used to affect energy pathways and treat a variety of health conditions, dry needling is recognized as a modality of Western Medicine focused on the treatment of painful musculoskeletal conditions. Dry needling’s development within Western Medicine has allowed it to be researched thoroughly and learned by a greater variety of practitioners, contributing to its rapid increase in popularity over the last several years. The increasing research and support for dry needling has even encouraged some health insurers to start covering the treatment for musculoskeletal injuries.

Why is it "dry" needling?

Both techniques use the same thin solid needles, often 0.2-0.3 millimeters in width (approximately 3-5 times the width of human hair) and 20-60 millimeters in length, with no injection of medication of other substances. Because no substance is being injected, the needling is described as "dry."

Is dry needling painful?

While acupuncture utilizes acupuncture points throughout the body, the primary strategy when dry needling is to locate and needle myofascial trigger points in muscles related to the area of pain and dysfunction. Trigger points can be defined as tight and inflamed nodules within a muscle that are usually quite tender and often refer or reproduce pain, numbness or tingling into other regions nearby. There may be some brief pinching or pressure while needles are being inserted or manipulated, but most patients report little-no discomfort when resting with the needles in for 10-15 minutes. Many also report improved relaxation during their session of dry needling. 

Although all of the mechanisms of action are not completely understood and still being studied, much like the chiropractic adjustment, the potential for positive results and very low risk of harm is well documented. Dry needling can be very helpful in speeding up the rate of recovery from injuries and complaints throughout the neck, back, arms and legs. We’ll follow up with cases from our office in future articles! In the meantime, feel free to contact us with questions or schedule a consultation to see if dry needling may be helpful for your condition.

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