If you are looking for treatments that involve insertion of needles into the body, then you can go with two options. These are acupuncture and dry needling. On hearing at first, many people assume that de might be the same. But there are differences in their origins, philosophies, techniques and applications. So let us try to understand the key distinctions between them today.
Origins and philosophy
If we talk about acu therapy, it is a part of traditional Chinese medicine. You can find a lot about it in Chinese philosophy where they talk about acupuncture meaning a treatment based on energy. And this energy is related to the one possessed by the human body due to which it heals. On the other hand dry needling is not something related to history. Indeed it is a modern treatment that you can find in western medicine. It is actually a combined understanding of anatomy physiology and muscular skeletal condition. In acu therapy, there are acupoints but in dry needling there are myofascial trigger points. Although the procedure and the work of both the points seems to be equal, the differences lie in their level of efficiency to treat musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.
Theoretical foundations
If you want to know the core differences between acu therapy and dry needling, theoretical foundations are a perfect way to understand. As you know now, acu therapy works around the framework of traditional Chinese medicine. Here, it views the body as an interconnected system where energy is a central part in health. And the therapist also uses this holistic approach to create a balance between physical emotional and spiritual sense of the body. The overall goal here is to restore harmony with the body by focusing on acu points. And traditional Chinese medicine believes that these points have a lot of influence on the flow of energy along the meridians. On the other hand dry needling is related to the scientific principles of Western medicine that focuses on the neuromuscular system and the identification of trigger points. So the theoretical difference between the two terms is that acupuncture benefits are related to energy whereas dry needling is not.
Techniques and application
Yes both techniques involved inserting needles into the skin. But if you will look at the techniques used and applications of these methods, you well understand that there are prominent differences. In acupuncture, fine solid needles are used to be inserted in your body. And where are these inserted? In the acupoints. But do the experts choose any acupoints for this therapy? No, they choose them on the basis of your problem, its prevalent symptoms, and your overall health. Along with all these, they also take care of your immune system. Now do you want to know for how much time the professionals keep the needles? They leave them for 15 to 30 minutes.
On the other hand if we talk about dry needling the needles are the same but they are inserted D4 into the muscle tissue to reach the trigger points properly. And then the practicester will move the needle in and out of the muscle to give it a twitch response. Comparatively dry needling sessions are shorter than acu therapy.
Areas of focus
There is another major difference between the areas of focus for dry needling and accu therapy. Acupuncture focuses on solving the following conditions:
- Chronic pain (such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and sciatica)
- Headaches and migraines
- Stress, anxiety, and depression
- Digestive disorders (such as irritable bowel syndrome)
- Sleep disturbances and insomnia
- Allergies and respiratory conditions
While dry needling focuses on:
- Myofascial pain
- Muscle tightness and spasms
- Sports injuries
- Back and neck pain
- Joint pain
- Tendonitis
- Plantar fasciitis
Training and regulation
There are also major differences between how people are trained for requirements and regulations of dry needling and acu therapy. If you will find an expert in The Villages, they would have completed extensive training in traditional Chinese medicine. The United States says that acupuncturists need to have completed a master degree program that includes course work in anatomy, physiology, pathology, and Chinese medicine theory. Not only this, but they also need to complete 100 hours of proper clinical practice. After completing all this along with the education, they get a license to practice.
In the case of dry needling, you can find health care providers like physical therapists or chiropractors. Unlike acu therapy, the training requirements for dry needling may vary by state or country. But there is a general requirement that practitioners need to complete postgraduate courses that provide instruction on anatomy, pain science, and use of dry needling for Pacific conditions. You need to understand that dry needling is not a stand alone profession, it is generally performed as part of a broader physical therapy or chiropractic treatment plan.
Conclusion
Overall the differences between acupuncture and dry needling are prominent including their different philosophies, techniques, and applications. But the basic difference lies in the energy on which acupuncture therapy is based but dry needling is not. The other differences are subsets of this significant difference.