At first glance, acupuncture and dry needling appear to be synonymous. If you viewed a picture explaining each procedure, differentiating between them might seem impossible. But the similarities do not go beyond the equipment used in each practice. Different practitioners with different training conduct acupuncture and dry needling. Additionally, both originate from distinct medicinal roots. This blog explores dry needling and acupuncture therapy and the differences between the two medical practices.

Our muscles comprise bundled fibers, which can become taut or sensitive from injuries, sustained postures, or emotional stress. Over time, our bodies undergo chemical changes resulting from stress. These changes can make muscles highly sensitive and lead to tight trigger points or muscle knots. These tight bands within muscles can limit movement and cause pain.

Dry needling is a treatment to ease muscle tension, cramping, and pain while restoring function and improving flexibility. This therapy is intended to manage movement impairments and neuro-musculoskeletal pain. It entails practitioners penetrating muscle knots (also known as trigger points) or other sensitive muscle areas using several fine, monofilament needles.

Trigger points or muscle knots are palpable bumps in the tight bands of the skeletal muscles’ fascia. In essence, they are hyperritable, taut spots of hard or knotted muscle. Generally, trigger points are tender and transmit pain signals to other places in the body. When the needles are inserted into the trigger points, they desensitize these supersensitive structures, triggering a healing reaction that helps in restoration.

The objective of dry needling is to improve blood flow and reduce tissue chemicals that cause pain, thereby relieving tension and pain. Practitioners performing this procedure are certified and licensed to do so. The specialists do not inject anything into the patients during the procedure. Thus, the needles are completely dry, corresponding to the procedure’s name, “dry needling.”

Dry needling is rarely conducted as a stand-alone procedure and should always be carried out by a qualified therapist within a professional setting. Often, this practice is integrated into a physiotherapy treatment schedule that also combines conventional interventions.

Once a specialist inserts the thin needles into the skeletal muscle, they may leave them there for ten to twenty minutes or move them gently. In some instances, the specialist may also apply electrical stimulation to the inserted needles to boost the therapy’s pain-killing properties.

There are two variations of dry needling therapy: The non-trigger point technique and the in-and-out technique. During the latter technique, also known as posting or sparrow pecking, the specialist drives the needles into the specific knots and immediately withdraws them. The non-trigger point technique is, as the name suggests. The specialists drive fine needles into the muscle adjacent to trigger points, avoiding the trigger points themselves. This technique may be used to treat the nervous system rather than the primary site of pain.

Even though some individuals experience mild cramping, muscle twitching, or a pin-prick sensation, the discomfort after this procedure is generally minimal. Most individuals experience relief immediately after the treatment.

Dry needling therapy works by stimulating the release of natural chemicals in the body, which help the nerves and muscles in the region to work more normally. According to research, this therapy triggers the production of endorphins, which help enhance flexibility and relieve pain. As the specialist inserts the needles into the muscles, tiny lesions form, increasing the flow of nutrient-rich blood to the treatment site and triggering the body's healing response.

This treatment provides an immediate effect lasting from several hours to several weeks. These results are further enhanced or sustained when combined with exercises and other physiotherapy treatments recommended by a therapist, as explained above. Commonly, you may repeat dry needling during physiotherapy sessions to attain the desired results.

Dry needling addresses a wide array of neural and musculoskeletal conditions leading to pain, including the following:

  • Whiplash

  • TMJ disorders

  • Tennis elbow

  • Tendonitis

  • Sciatica

  • Repetitive strain injuries

  • Pregnancy pain

  • Postoperative pain

  • Plantar fasciitis

  • Osteoarthritis

  • Neck pain

  • Knee pain

  • Hip pain

  • Migraines and headaches

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • Back pain

Practitioners who perform dry needling include licensed chiropractors or therapists who have undergone specific training in addition to their bachelor's degree. Medical physicians and acupuncturists can also conduct the procedure. There are various guidelines governing dry needling. You therefore want to check the regulations and laws to ensure that the specialist you have chosen can perform the procedure at your location.

One important benefit of the dry needling procedure is its effectiveness in addressing musculoskeletal pain. The treatment can benefit individuals with chronic pain (such as fibromyalgia pain) or athletes recovering from injuries. Significant dry needling benefits include the following:

  • Quick results. Unlike some treatments that might take time to produce results, dry needling usually provides relief after only a few sessions, if not after the first.

  • Increased flexibility. This treatment improves function and mobility by releasing muscle tension, tightness, and stiffness.

  • Pain relief. This practice directly targets pain by addressing the main cause—knotted, tight muscles.

Acupuncture is a therapy based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Like dry needling, this practice involves inserting thin, sterilized needles into specific points on a patient's body. However, acupuncture serves another purpose.

The idea behind acupuncture therapy is that it stimulates nerves, thereby restoring and rebalancing the flow of our energy (chi or qi). TCM describes acupuncture therapy as a method for balancing life force or energy flow. Qi is believed to flow via meridians (pathways) in the body.

Acupuncture practitioners believe illnesses occur when qi is blocked. So, by inserting fine needles into particular points (accupoints) along the energy pathways, they believe that the qi can rebalance and flow freely.

Certified and licensed acupuncturists who have undergone nationalized testing and extensive training perform acupuncture. Certain insurance companies cover acupuncture therapy, as they consider it a medical procedure.

Acupuncture is an all-inclusive treatment for various conditions. Primarily, it is used to alleviate both acute and chronic pain, and a wide range of physical, emotional, and mental conditions. Apart from the listed neural and musculoskeletal conditions treated by dry needling, acupuncture therapy also treats these conditions:

  • Low back pains

  • Nausea

  • Allergies

  • Labor pain

  • Migraines

  • Menstrual cramps

  • Depression

  • Addiction

  • Infertility

  • Cancer pain

  • Anxiety

  • Vomiting

When successful, acupuncture usually provides temporary relief from signs and symptoms by stimulating the release of endorphins.

Traditionally, the basic belief surrounding acupuncture therapy is that disease results when qi is interrupted or blocked. Qi provides the body healing energy. This therapy seeks to remove blockages and restore and balance your qi flow. In current Western acupuncture practice, practitioners believe that needle insertion stimulates the nervous system. Studies are ongoing to discover more about the potential effects of acupuncture, such as the following:

  • Increasing blood flow

  • Lowering inflammation

  • Triggering endorphin release to alleviate pain

Acupuncture treats a wide range of conditions, as mentioned earlier. Some people even use this therapy to treat substance use disorders or help quit smoking.

Even though it is a good idea to know the side effects associated with these two practices, the risk of severe complications is extremely low. These two practices often carry the same risks. They both may cause bleeding at the insertion points, soreness at the treatment site, and slight bruising. When they occur, these side effects are generally mild and resolve quickly. For many patients, the benefits of dry needling and acupuncture far surpass their side effects.

Infection is a potential complication of acupuncture and dry needling, though it is very rare.

However, qualified practitioners conducting these procedures will use new, sterilized, single-use needles after each procedure. Thus, you need not be concerned with contracting any bloodline disease, infection, or illness. Additionally, on rare occasions, organ or nerve damage is a possible risk should a needle puncture a major body organ.

Even though there are a few risks linked to acupuncture and dry needling, these less invasive treatments are not ideal for everybody. Patients who have complicated medical problems or are on certain medications should look into other treatment options. Your treating practitioner will be able to tell you which of the two procedures you qualify for.

One similarity between acupuncture and dry needling is that both practices use needles. Practitioners insert needles into particular points to relieve pain. But this is as far as similarities go. The differences, however, are several. They include the following:

As explored, acupuncture and dry needling stem from different medicinal origins. Acupuncture is founded on TCM, and its goal is to restore the body’s natural qi balance. Dry needling originates from Western medical practices and focuses on relieving musculoskeletal-related pain and tension.

The second difference is the goal of therapy. Acupuncture is meant to treat various health conditions or relieve pain by improving the flow of qi in the body. Dry needling, on the other hand, uses evidence-based methods to treat or manage specific conditions.

Another difference is the penetration points. Acupuncture therapy targets specific points along energy pathways that correspond to bodily organs. The goal is to restore proper qi flow and balance to a patient's body. With dry needling, specialists insert a needle into the patient's skin at muscle knots to relieve tension and stimulate a healing response.

Another noticeable difference is the length of the sessions. Acupuncture sessions last longer, generally 45 to 60 minutes, including rest and consultation time, whereas dry needling sessions have a shorter period, typically 15 to 30 minutes. And while dry needling is usually integrated into comprehensive physiotherapy services, acupuncture involves a comprehensive evaluation based on traditional Chinese medicine diagnostic methods.

In short, although both procedures provide effective pain relief, their approaches differ markedly. So, if you are wondering whether acupuncture and dry needling are the same, the answer is no.

Also, when evaluating the risks and complications of dry needling and acupuncture, you might want to consider the difference in their training requirements. To be licensed, acupuncture practitioners must complete a master’s degree and many hours of clinical supervision. They must also pass certification by the national board before they practice acupuncture.

On the contrary, physiotherapists may complete just a weekend dry needling course or undergo needle training for 27-72 hours before they can conduct the procedure on patients. Some states might not permit dry needling whatsoever. The AMA (American Medical Association) considers dry needling an invasive treatment and states that only licensed acupuncturists and medical physicians should do it.

According to the AMA, nonphysicians who carry out dry needling must meet the same certification, continuing education, and training standards as licensed acupuncture practitioners. This is because of the link between dry needling, healthcare risks, complications, and the nonexistent and lax regulations surrounding the procedure. Practitioners with minimal education can cause severe injury to patients.

If you are weighing which procedure to choose between acupuncture and dry needling, you want to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all option. Both treatments have strengths and weaknesses, and the ideal option will depend on your health condition and goals. If you wish to address sports injuries or muscle stiffness and pain, dry needling may provide quicker relief and help you resume your routine faster. But if you are seeking a long-term, holistic solution for pain or other medical issues, acupuncture might offer the solution you need.

The best way to go about it is to consult a qualified practitioner. At Trinity Acupuncture, we are devoted to restoring normal body function and improving lives by offering customized care across Torrance, CA. Many of our acupuncturists are also qualified to perform dry needling, which we implement as part of an all-inclusive approach to help modulate pain, renew motion, and restore function. If you are still unsure regarding the difference between dry needling and acupuncture or need assistance deciding between them, please call us at 310-371-1777 for guidance.