Dry Needling VS Acupuncture

First things first, many individuals wonder, isn’t dry needling the same as acupuncture? Both forms of treatment use thin, stainless steel needles, and both require the needles to be inserted into the skin in order to treat pain. It is definitely easy to get confused! However, this is where the similarities end as unique qualities assist in differentiating the two. 

One practice has been used for thousands of years as an alternative treatment and has some solid research to prove its effectiveness. The other has only been adopted in the last couple of decades. One is believed to relieve pain, discomfort, and other issues by opening up a person’s energy flow or chi. The other is designed to stimulate trigger points or muscles that are irritable. 

Knowing the differences can undoubtedly help you decide which type of treatment is right for you! 

What is dry needling? 

Dry needling is the more modern treatment designed to ease muscular pain; it grows in popularity every day! 

During dry needling, a practitioner inserts several filiform needles into your skin. Filiform needles do not inject fluid into the body; this is why the term ‘dry’ is used to describe them. These needles are placed into ‘trigger points’ in your muscle or tissue; these points are usually knotted or stiff muscles. 

Dry needling practitioners claim the needles help release the knot and relieve any muscle pain or spasms. The needles will remain in your skin for a short period of time; this depends on the practitioner’s preference. 

What are the benefits?

Dry needling may provide relief from some muscular pain and stiffness and ease the trigger points, allowing improved flexibility and increased range of motion. This method is most commonly used to treat sports injuries, muscle pain and in some cases, fibromyalgia pain. 

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of medical treatment that has been used for hundreds – even thousands – of years. Acupuncture originated in Asian medical practices; this is why many licensure and oversight boards use the term ‘oriental medicine’ to classify acupuncture. 

Expert acupuncturists require three to four years of training; this includes both instructions in the use of needles and instruction in diagnosing conditions. In addition to said training, acupuncturists must undergo testing from a national board of examiners and continue to take instructional courses each year to maintain their license. 

What are the benefits?

The fundamental belief of acupuncture is that illness is the result of blocked or interrupted chi. Chi provides your body with healing energy and seeks to remove blockages to return your energy flow to a state of balance. 

Acupuncture is used to treat hundreds of conditions and symptoms, including: 

• Pain 
• Nausea 
• Vomiting 
• Headache
• Menstrual cramps 
• Allergies 

Many people also use acupuncture to treat addiction and chemical dependency. 

The bottom line

If you have found yourself weighing up acupuncture or dry needling as a treatment option, the choice may solely come down to a matter of preference. 

As it stands, acupuncture certainly has more definitive research and practitioners are regulated in training and practice. Therefore, if your preference is a well-established alternative treatment option from a highly-trained therapist, acupuncture may be more beneficial to you. 

On the other hand, dry needling is relatively new, so research remains limited. Existing research shows very few side effects and potential as a treatment for pain relief. Still, large-scale studies are lacking. In addition, there is very little consistency in training, certification or licensure at this time – this can lead to unsafe needle practices. 

Yet if you are willing to try something less established with fewer governing principles but promising results, you may be willing to give dry needling a go!

If you’re interested in learning more about acupuncture, take a look at some of our online courses that provide an in depth knowledge of the subject.