Dry needling is a therapeutic technique with roots in both Western and Eastern medicine traditions.
Western Perspective:
First termed in the early 1980s, dry needling initially focused on treating trigger points using beveled-needle syringes without injectates (hence “dry”). Modern dry needling uses acupuncture needles to address various neuromusculoskeletal conditions beyond trigger points.
Chinese Medicine Perspective:
Dry needling evolved from “ashi needling,” a palpation-based technique. Practitioners locate and needle tender points that either reproduce or alleviate the patient’s symptoms.