Effectiveness of dry needling techniques in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ughreja, Reepa Avichal; Venkatesan, P

doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2021.02.015

Cited by 16 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease, which is linked to joint degeneration, loss of cartilage, and alterations of the subchondral bone, and mainly affects the hands, knees, and hips [1,2]. OA is a highly predominant health condition, which has affected over 260 million people worldwide [3], and it is becoming even more common due to the combined effects of aging and obesity [4]. OA is even more problematic as it is associated with pain, disability, and personal and economic burden [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The complementary and alternative approaches, including acupuncture, yoga, manual therapy, and electrotherapy, are recommended for the OA treatment by the National Clinical Guideline Centre in United Kingdom and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) [8]. Among the complementary and alternative options for the treatment of OA, the clinical evidence of dry needling [3], moxibustion [2], and yoga [9] have been systematically evaluated, but the clinical evidence of acupressure for OA treatment has not been systematically examined yet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Acupressure for Managing Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

et al. 2021

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This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure as a treatment method for osteoarthritis. Fourteen electronic databases were searched from the date of inception until 16 March 2021, for eligible studies. Studies comparing acupressure with sham acupuncture, no intervention or conventional intervention were eligible for inclusion. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias Assessment tool Version 2.0. A total of eight trials were included in this review, focusing on the seven trials investigating knee osteoarthritis. The risk of bias is judged as low in only two trials and concerning in the remaining six trials. The meta-analysis showed that acupressure has equivalent effects in reducing pain (p = 0.12), relieving stiffness (p = 0.38), and improving physical function (p = 0.12), as compared to sham acupressure. Pooled results also showed similar results where acupressure has an equivalent effect in reducing pain (p = 0.09), and relieving stiffness (p = 0.68), but showed a favorable effect in improving physical function of joints (MD –6.30, CI 95%: −11.69 to −0.92, p = 0.02), as compared to no intervention. For acupressure complementing conventional intervention, pooled results showed superior effects for easing pain compared to conventional intervention alone (MD −3.72, 95% CI: −4.84 to −2.61, p < 0.00001). Overall, the studies included in this review have concerning quality and suffer from small sample sizes, and the findings of this review should be interpreted with caution. More clinical trials with proper methodology are needed to confirm the effectiveness of acupressure for osteoarthritis.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupressure for Managing Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

et al. 2021

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“…A recent systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the effectiveness of DN techniques in patients with knee OA concluded moderate evidence and short-term effects of DN may be beneficial for knee OA, but frequency and duration of treatment along with long-term follow-up are still lacking [ 64 ]. Interestingly, this review included studies on periosteal stimulation in which an electrical current is applied through cutaneous needles to stimulate the nerves of the periosteum.…”

Section: Dry Needlingmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Update on Physical Therapy Adjuncts in Orthopedics

et al. 2022

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“…To achieve the best representation of this understudied population, the research team adopted a census-(rather than sampling-) style approach to recruitment. In early 2018, the authors used the provincial regulator's online professional register [27] to construct a list of all PTs rostered to practice acupuncture in Ontario (n = 3137). By conducting public internet searches, the research team identified email addresses for 2129 providers.…”

Section: Sampling and Recruitmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Six related systematic reviews, published between 2005 and 2014 [10][11][12][13][14][15], generally reported heterogeneous results with respect to efficacy and characterized the quality of available evidence as low. At least 15 more such reviews and meta-analyses have been published since that time [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29], over half of these in 2020 and 2021. These more recent analyses suggest low to moderate evidence for dry needling's positive effects on various types of pain and compared with both placebo/sham and other active interventions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A mixed-methods survey of physiotherapists who practice acupuncture and dry needling in Ontario, Canada: practice characteristics, motivations, and professional outcomes

Ijaz

Welsh

Boon

2021

BMC Complement Med Ther

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Background Physiotherapists (PTs) across the globe are increasingly incorporating filiform needling techniques (e.g., acupuncture, dry needling) into their clinical toolkits; and, the evidence base for these complementary therapies is becoming progressively more robust. However, to date, little is known about needling PTs themselves. Methods Using a cross-sectional survey design, PTs authorized to perform needling therapies in Ontario, Canada were recruited for anonymous participation (n = 2061) in an online survey. The survey asked providers about their demographics and practice characteristics, rationale for and views about therapeutic needling, and their related clinical and professional outcomes. The response rate was 20.7% (n = 426), and 22.3% (n = 95) of respondents provided textual responses to an open-ended qualitative question. Results While study respondents’ demographic features appear similar to their broader professional population, Ontario’s needling PTs are less likely to work in public sector settings. Most completed training in medical acupuncture rather than dry needling, and typically used needling in over one-third of patient visits. Almost all endorsed needling as an effective musculoskeletal treatment, the primary factor informing their adoption of the practice. While many viewed traditional Chinese medical theories as a useful explanatory framework, most relied on biomedical epistemology to drive their needling work. A majority of respondents reported that the inclusion of needling within their clinical toolkits had improved their likelihood of achieving excellent clinical results, helped support patient recruitment and retention, and heightened their professional satisfaction. While a few reported earning a higher income as a result, most reported that their clinical use of needling in addition to other PT modalities reduced their physical fatigue after a day’s work. Conclusions This study represents a first scholarly investigation into the motivations, training backgrounds and practice patterns of PTs who use acupuncture or dry needling. Additional research from other jurisdictions is needed to evaluate the transferability of study findings.

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Effectiveness of dry needling techniques in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by 16 publications

References 43 publications

Acupressure for Managing Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Acupressure for Managing Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

An Update on Physical Therapy Adjuncts in Orthopedics

A mixed-methods survey of physiotherapists who practice acupuncture and dry needling in Ontario, Canada: practice characteristics, motivations, and professional outcomes

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