SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2025
Dry Needling in Sports and Sport Recovery: A Systematic Review with an Evidence Gap Map.
Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07612969 (Comparing the Effect of Dry Needle, Acupuncture and Sham Needling When Added to Muscle Release Technique on Knee Range of Motion, Unipedal Balance and Jump Height in Active Men), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Comparing the Effect of Dry Needle, Acupuncture and Sham Needling When Added to Muscle Release Technique on Knee Range of Motion, Unipedal Balance and Jump Height in Active Men: A Randomized Control Single Blinded Study
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of dry needling on recovery, neuromuscular function, and injury outcomes in sports athletes: a systematic review targeting the neck and related regions.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of experience and specialization on accuracy and perceived performance of needling techniques in the cubital tunnel: a cadaveric study.Journal of ultrasound · 2026Article
- A modern reinterpretation of the "kidney governs bone" theory: systemic regulation of the neuro-endocrine-immune network via the brain-bone axis and traditional chinese medicine intervention strategies.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDry needling is an increasingly popular technique used in sports and regenerative medicine contexts. However, there is no comprehensive overview of investigations of dry needling in sports and sport recovery.
objectivesThe objectives were to perform a systematic review of dry needling in sports athletes with an evidence gap map, to identify current gaps in the literature, and to provide stakeholders with direction for future research.
methodsPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines were followed. Studies on healthy and injured athletes receiving dry needling were included. Three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched, data were synthesized narratively, key data were summarized quantitatively, and an evidence gap map was created.
resultsThe authors incorporated 24 studies into the current study, encompassing 580 athletes, predominantly involving talent/developmental and highly trained/national-level athletes across 13 sports. Most studies used passive or placebo controls, with 37.5% incorporating active controls. Interventions focused mainly on the lower limbs (58.3%). Around 69% of studies reported pain perception outcomes, while six examined muscular strength, activity, and range of motion. While results varied, dry needling generally showed a more positive effect on pain than on athletic performance.
conclusionsDry needling studies seem to describe general effectiveness and safety for reducing pain and muscle stiffness in a wide variety of body regions. However, further research is needed on underrepresented populations such as elite, world-class, and Paralympic athletes, as well as expanding investigations into long-term effects and a broader range of muscle groups, particularly the hamstrings. The results may be valuable for medical professionals, sports medicine specialists, and researchers. REGISTRATION: OSF project no.: osf.io osf.io/h3yeq.
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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.