Dry needling showed no clear advantage for trigger-point neck pain
A review found no statistically significant differences in pain or neck disability compared with physical treatment modalities, but the evidence had substantial limitations.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review did not find a clear advantage for dry needling over physical treatment modalities in pain, pressure pain threshold, or neck-related disability. That finding does not establish that the treatments are equivalent. The authors rated the evidence as moderate to low quality, so the comparison remains uncertain rather than settled.
All trials were judged at high risk of bias because participants were not blinded. The abstract also contains internally inconsistent confidence intervals, preventing reliable use of its numerical effect estimates.
What the review compared
The researchers combined randomized trials involving pain attributed to muscle trigger points in the neck. They examined pain ratings, sensitivity to applied pressure, and a questionnaire measuring neck-related disability.
What the harms statement means
The abstract reports no treatment-related adverse events, but does not describe follow-up timing or how harms were collected. That statement alone cannot establish the comparative safety of the treatments.
The original publication
Comparison of dry needling with physical modalities for myofascial trigger point of patients with neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Chen Y, Sun Y, Ai S et al.
J Bodyw Mov Ther · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41316611
- Record checked
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