BARA ACU

ACUPUNCTURE VS DRY NEEDLING

What is the difference between acupuncture and dry needling?

This is one of the most common questions I am asked in the clinic. Dry Needling is often an introduction to needling for many patients as they are already seeing a Physiotherapist which develops trust to try the additional therapy of needling. Often, clients are intrigued and eager to learn more about acupuncture and what additional benefits it can offer. 

Acupuncture is a needling-based medical practice that is rooted in Chinese tradition and philosophy and over 4000 years of clinical case studies. The practice of acupuncture has integrated Western medicine for over 75 years and continues to expand through medical research studies all over the world. 

A common misconception is that Acupuncturists do not practice Dry Needling, yet we use the same points and the same needles. So what is the difference?

Dry Needling is one way of using needles for a therapeutic effect by targeting trigger motor points to produce neuromuscular release. This is used to treat pain, injury or dysfunction. This is the style of needling that Physiotherapists and Medical Doctors practice after doing Dry Needling continuing education. Dry Needling is generally taught in 48 – 72 hours of training and is specific to treating local muscle tension or injury. Dry Needling treatment is often used as an additional modality to compliment Physiotherapy treatments.

Dry Needling is one of the techniques Acupuncturists use to treat pain, injury and dysfunction, but in addition, Acupuncturists also use an expansive toolkit of needling techniques. Some of these techniques include scalp acupuncture and distal acupuncture, which stimulates the brain and peripheral nervous system, releases fascial tension, and improves circulation. Acupuncturist use several points simultaneously to balance tension and weakness in the body and leave the needles in for 15-45 minutes. This promotes the nervous system to enter a parasympathetic state, which aids recovery, stress, and tension release, and often results in a longer lasting effect of the treatment. Generally, acupuncture is a gentler approach than dry needling, which produces a similar result on local muscle tension and provides additional systemic benefits. A Registered Acupuncturist is informed by at least 1965 hours of training.

Acupuncture is a great option if you are interested in needle-based therapy, but dry needling produces too strong of an effect on the local area for you. If you have a weaker constitution, you might benefit from smaller needles and a gentle approach that uses areas of the body that are less sensitive. The same is true for people with a highly sensitive, tense, or easily aggravated nervous system. Everyone can benefit from acupuncture. By working on a holistic and systemic level, often in combination with the local trigger points, acupuncture techniques are able to calm the nervous system and produce systemic as well as local musculoskeletal release.