This document discusses dry needling and its relationship to acupuncture. It defines dry needling as a technique used by physical therapists and musculoskeletal therapists to treat myofascial pain syndromes and muscle trigger points by deactivating the trigger points. In contrast, acupuncture treats pathological conditions and aims to achieve balance in the body's energy levels. While the techniques use similar needles, they are considered different treatments. The document also discusses similarities and differences between acupuncture points and myofascial trigger points.

1. DR. SUBHANJAN DAS, PT
Subhanjan_82@yahoo.com
+91 8967549104
Dry Needling Instructor
MPT (Musculoskeletal & Sports)
Assoc. Prof., BIMLS, Burdwan

2. Also in the series
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/introduction-to-dry-needling
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/2-brief-hisory-of-needling
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/3-superficial-dry-needling
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/4-indications-of-dry-needling
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/6-dangers-of-dry-needling
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/7-physiologic-background-of-dry-needling
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/8-dn-vs-acupuncture
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/9-electroacupuncture
 http://www.slideshare.net/SubhanjanDas/10-legalities-involved-in-dry-needling

3.  Latin Acus means needle
 If piercing the skin by needle is acupuncture then dry
needling can be termed as acupuncture.
 But so can be injection, innoculation or pricking for
blood test.

4.  Acupuncture and dry needling, while using the same
needle types, are two very different treatments.
Traditional Acupuncture is used for the diagnosis and
treatment of pathological conditions including
visceral and systemic dysfunction, while dry needling
is used for the assessment and treatment of myofacial
pain syndromes and dysfunction due to myofacial
trigger points / tension areas / muscle spasm /
increased tonicity.

5.  Acupuncture achieves pain
relief and healing by creating
balance in the body's energy
levels.
 Dry needling acts via the
release of endorphins and
serum cortisol, also achieves
pain relief and
biomechanical re-function by
de-activating the trigger
points.
 The needles also cause
localised haemorrhaging
which promotes healing by
stimulating collagen and
protein formation.

6.  For physios and other musculoskeletal therapists, DN
is more popular because there is no need to train in
traditional acupuncture methods in order to practice
the skill/technique of Dry Needling.
 Acupuncturists and therapists trained in traditional
acupuncture are increasingly including the needling of
myofascial trigger points into their treatment
approaches.

7. Relation b/w Acupuncture and DN
 Melzack et al concluded that there was a 71% overlap
between MTrPs and acupuncture points based on their
anatomical location.
Birch reassessed this 1977 paper and concluded that
actual correlation between acu points and MTrP is
only 18-19%

8. AhShi
AhShi points are extra points which are found outside
the meridian. They are tender points, needled during
acupuncture.
AhShi points are probably same as MTrPs of DN