Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38157883›Full record

SynthesisArquivos de neuro-psiquiatria2023

Treating myofascial pain with dry needling: a systematic review for the best evidence-based practices in low back pain.

Fabíola Dach, Karen S Ferreira

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed
4.4field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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  14. Exploring fascia in myofascial pain syndrome: an integrative model of mechanisms.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. A journey through 80 years of Brazilian neurology.Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Fabíola DachUniversidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-4249-4179
Karen S FerreiraSuroit Hospital, Department of Neurology, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1979-9580
Universidade de Ribeirão Preto · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMyofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common source of pain in primary care or pain clinics. There are many different ways to manage and treat MPS, such as physical exercise, trigger points massage, and dry needling.

objectiveThe objective of this overview is to highlight and discuss the evidence-based treatment of myofascial pain by dry needling in patients with low back pain.

methodsA systematic review was made based on meta-analysis (MA) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to dry needling treatment for myofascial pain in patients with lumbar pain, published from 2000 to 2023.

resultsA total of 509 records were identified at first. Seventy were published before 2000, so they were excluded. From the remaining 439 studies, ninety-two were RCTs or MA, of which 86 additional studies were excluded for the following reasons: not related to dry needling treatment (n = 79), not published in English (n = 4), duplicated (n = 1), project protocol (n = 1), and not related to myofascial pain (n = 1). So, this review was based on 4 RCTs and two MA. These studies compared dry needling efficacy to other treatments, such as acupuncture, sham dry needling, laser therapy, physical therapy, local anesthetic injection, ischemic compression, and neuroscience education. Despite outcomes and follow-up period varied between them, they showed that dry needling can decrease post-intervention pain intensity and pain disability.

conclusionDry needling is an effective procedure for the treatment of myofascial pain in patients with acute and chronic low back pain. Further high-quality studies are needed to clarify the long-term outcomes.

Indexed as

Dry NeedlingLow Back PainMyofascial Pain SyndromesEvidence-Based PracticeHumansPercutaneous Collagen InductionTrigger Points

Identifiers

PMID38157883
PMCPMC10756779
OpenAlexW4390430794

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.