Efficacy of Dry Needling and Acupuncture in Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Valera-Calero JA, Fernández-de-las-Peñas C, Navarro-Santana MJ, Plaza-Manzano G · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2022 August 11

DOI 10.3390/ijerph19169904

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of dry needling and acupuncture in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) regarding pain, function, and disability in both the short and long term.

Conclusions

Both acupuncture and dry needling therapies were found to be effective in reducing pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, stiffness, quality of sleep, and quality of life in patients with FM in the short term, but there was no direct comparison between the two techniques.

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Insights

Acupuncture and dry needling may significantly enhance Fibromyalgia symptoms and overall quality of life in short term.

The researchers systematically searched renowned databases like MEDLINE, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science for selected randomized controlled trial studies that analyze the effectiveness of either dry needling or acupuncture to improve Fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms. The study involved a thorough qualitative analysis and systematic data synthesis and incorporated a total of 25 studies that met the selection criteria. In the found studies, the therapeutic techniques, especially acupuncture and dry needling, were evaluated regarding their efficiency in diminishing the pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and enhancing daily functioning and quality of life in FM patients. The findings highlighted that both dry needling and acupuncture significantly improved all the mentioned conditions, demonstrating their short-term effectiveness. However, no studies were discovered that directly compared the effectiveness of dry needling and acupuncture.