I’ve not tried dry needling yet, but I have acupuncture regularly. They are similar, yet different treatments.
Dry needling uses the same needles used for acupuncture, but the locations and process are different.
While acupuncture is based on Eastern medicine and focuses on meridians, dry needling is based on western medicine and what is known about muscles and fascia and is typically done by trained and licensed Physical Therapists.
In dry needling the needle is inserted 5-10mm into the skin until a muscle contraction occurs and then the needle is removed.
A 2014 study examining the use of dry needling for Fibromyalgia compared 60 Fibromyalgia patients to 60 healthy individuals. This study even included a few males (4 in the Fibro group, 6 in the healthy group – about the correct ratio of men diagnosed with Fibromyalgia).
Participants were randomly assigned to either the dry needling group or to a control group. Fibromyalgia patients were asked to continue with any current medications or treatments.
If their treatments changed during the course of the study their scores were not included. Self-report measures were used to determine base-line pain scores as well as follow-up scores. Other tests included a grip test, and a 6-minute walking test.
A total of 100 participants completed the study (50 in each group). The pain scores of those with Fibromyalgia were significantly improved in many areas as a result of the dry needling treatment.
In addition to a decrease in reported pain, the Fibromyalgia group reported significantly decreased fatigue levels, higher pain threshold, and greater subjective improvement overall.
A follow-up of participants 6 weeks after the study ended indicated that the patients were still seeing significant improvements even when the treatment was discontinued. Although, we don’t know how many may have chosen to continue the treatment on their own (I certainly would if I had seen that kind of improvement).
Study shows that dry needling can improve #Fibromyalgia pain and fatigue. Have you tried it yet? Share on XOverall, this study seems to indicate that dry needling can be a good treatment when added to other existing treatments. It’s hard to say how well it would work by itself since this study did not assess that.
However, we have seen generally that the best route to treating Fibromyalgia is holistically and from many different angles including medications, physical therapy, alternative therapies (such as chiropractic, acupuncture, and even meditation), increased movement, as well as diet and lifestyle changes.
Have you tried dry needling? Did you find it helpful? How long did it take before you began seeing improvement from it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Have you tried dry needling? Did you find it helpful? How long did it take before you began seeing improvement from it? Share on X
References:
Casanueva, B., Rivas, P., Rodero, B., Quintial, C., Llorca, J., & González-Gay, M. (2014). Short-term improvement following dry needle stimulation of tender points in fibromyalgia. Rheumatology International, 34(6), 861-866. doi:10.1007/s00296-013-2759-3
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Amanda says
I tried it the first 2 times helped alot with my neck ,shoulders, calfs & sciatica pain by next morning pain was gone but it hurts real bad when doing it u go bout twice week 4 6 weeks last time I tried it went 4 3 weeks but pain got worst after sessions pain would last couple days if u have muscle knots u can’t get to relax it’s good option but there will be pain hope it helps good luck..