ReviewCurrent reviews in musculoskeletal medicine2020
Dry Needling as a Treatment Modality for Tendinopathy: a Narrative Review.
Review in Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Efficacy of Dry Needling in the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study
Characterization of the Effects on Bioimpedance and the Sensorimotor System After the Application of Percutaneous Electrolysis Protocols on the Patellar Tendon.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review: impact of dry needling, isometric, and eccentric exercises on pain and function in individuals with patellar tendinopathy.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2024Pooled it
- The effectiveness of percutaneous ultrasound-guided needle tenotomy compared to alternative treatments for chronic tendinopathy: a systematic review.Skeletal radiology · 2023Pooled it
- Percutaneous tendon dry needling and thrust manipulation as an adjunct to multimodal physical therapy in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy: A multicenter randomized clinical trial.Clinical rehabilitation · 2024Trial
- Comparison of efficacy of ultrasound-guided platelet rich plasma injection versus dry needling in lateral epicondylitis-a randomised controlled trial.Journal of ultrasound · 2024Trial
- Ultrasound-guided injection strategies for lateral epicondylitis: a multicenter randomized comparison of corticosteroid, platelet-rich plasma, and ozone.Future science OA · 2026Article
- Investigation of the efficacy of dry needling added to physical therapy in supraspinatus tendinopathy.Turkish journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Non-Biologic Injections in Sports Medicine.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2026Review
- Therapeutic Effect of Photobiomodulation and Single Intratendinous Injection at the Lesion Site of Platelet-Rich Fibrin in Inducted Tendinopathy.Journal of biophotonics · 2026Article
- The evolving landscape of minimally invasive procedures in musculoskeletal diseases-part I.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Tendon overuse models have different effects on tissue mechanical properties in ex vivo bovine tendons.Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology · 2025Article
- Comparing Dry Needle Therapy and Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation · 2025Review
- Review
- Effectiveness of dry needling to treat lateral epicondylosis: A case report.Hand therapy · 2024Article
- The Effects of Dry-Needling Therapy on the Quality of Life in Athletes with Myofascial Pain Syndrome: Repeated Measures Design Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Placebo Effect in the Treatment of Patellar Tendinopathy and Its Influencing Factors: Systematic Review With Meta-analysis and Meta Regression of Randomized Controlled Trials.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2024Review
- Extensor Carpi Ulnaris Tendinopathy in Athletes: A Review of the Conservative and Rehabilitative Options.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Review
- Focused ultrasound as an alternative to dry needling for the treatment of tendinopathies: A murine model.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2024Article
- Article
- Ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve block with lidocaine vs. saline combined with physical exercises for the rehabilitation of supraspinatus tendinitis: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Ultrasound-Guided Electroacupuncture Treatment for Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: Proposing an Effective Alternative to Nonoperative Medical Treatments.Medical acupuncture · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purpose of reviewTendinopathy describes a combination of pain, swelling, and impaired performance of the tendon and around structures. There are various treatment options for tendinopathy with unclear efficacy. Dry needling involves inserting needles into the affected tendon, and it is thought to disrupt the chronic degenerative process and encourage localized bleeding and fibroblastic proliferation. The purpose of this review is to review the use of dry needling as a treatment modality for tendinopathy. RECENT
findingsThe effectiveness of dry needling for treatment of tendinopathy has been evaluated in 3 systematic reviews, 7 randomized controlled trials, and 6 cohort studies. The following sites were studied: wrist common extensor origin, patellar tendon, rotator cuff, and tendons around the greater trochanter. There is considerable heterogeneity of the needling techniques, and the studies were inconsistent about the therapy used after the procedure. Most systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials support the effectiveness of tendon needling. There was a statistically significant improvement in the patient-reported symptoms in most studies. Some studies reported an objective improvement assessed by ultrasound. Two studies reported complications. Current research provides initial support for the efficacy of dry needling for tendinopathy treatment. It seems that tendon needling is minimally invasive, safe, and inexpensive, carries a low risk, and represents a promising area of future research. In further high-quality studies, tendon dry needling should be used as an active intervention and compared with appropriate sham interventions. Studies that compare the different protocols of tendon dry needling are also needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.