Dry needling versus acupuncture: The ongoing debate
Department
Health Promotion
Document Type
Article
Publication Source
Acupuncture in Medicine
Publication Date
2015-12-01
Volume
33
Issue
6
First Page
485
Last Page
490
Abstract
Although Western medical acupuncture (WMA) is commonly practised in the UK, a particular approach called dry needling (DN) is becoming increasingly popular in other countries. The legitimacy of the use of DN by conventional nonphysician healthcare professionals is questioned by acupuncturists. This article describes the ongoing debate over the practice of DN between physical therapists and acupuncturists, with a particular emphasis on the USA. DN and acupuncture share many similarities but may differ in certain aspects. Currently, little information is available from the literature regarding the relationship between the two needling techniques. Through reviewing their origins, theory, and practice, we found that DN and acupuncture overlap in terms of needling technique with solid filiform needles as well as some fundamental theories. Both WMA and DN are based on modern biomedical understandings of the human body, although DN arguably represents only one subcategory of WMA. The increasing volume of research into needling therapy explains its growing popularity in the musculoskeletal field including sports medicine. To resolve the debate over DN practice, we call for the establishment of a regulatory body to accredit DN courses and a formal, comprehensive educational component and training for healthcare professionals who are not physicians or acupuncturists. Because of the close relationship between DN and acupuncture, collaboration rather than dispute between acupuncturists and other healthcare professionals should be encouraged with respect to education, research, and practice for the benefit of patients with musculoskeletal conditions who require needling therapy.
DOI
10.1136/acupmed-2015-010911
Recommended Citation
Zhou, Kehua; Ma, Yan; and Brogan, Michael S., "Dry needling versus acupuncture: The ongoing debate" (2015). Articles & Book Chapters. 230.
https://digitalcommons.daemen.edu/faculty_scholar/230
https://doi.org/10.1136/acupmed-2015-010911