Dr. David Orman

Dry needling is often presented in modern physiotherapy circles as a “breakthrough,” unique science-based intervention for muscle pain and dysfunction. Marketed as distinct from acupuncture, it uses acupuncture needles to target trigger points in muscle tissue, claiming to deactivate tension, restore mobility, and accelerate recovery. The language is purely Western. Rooted in anatomy, neurology, and biomechanics it gives an air of novelty for practitioners and patients who have never studied Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or other styles of genuine acupuncture. Yet, behind the branding and rewording, the core technique is not new at all. It is essentially a repackaging of an ancient method that has been practiced for centuries in the East and decades in the West.

In Acupuncture, there exists a concept known as Ashi points. These are tender spots on the body that are not mapped as fixed meridian points but are identified by palpation in which the patient often responds with noted reaction when the spot is pressed. For hundreds, if not thousands, of years, Acupuncteure practitioners have needled directly into these points to relieve pain, improve circulation, and restore function. This method has been an integral part of traditional acupuncture practice and is recognized as one of the most effective approaches for treating musculoskeletal pain. What dry needling calls “trigger point therapy” or “neuromuscular reset” is, in function, a direct mirror of Ashi point needling. If it were a written work, it would be considered plagerism.

The marketing separation between dry needling and acupuncture exists largely for regulatory, professional, and commercial reasons. By avoiding the terminology of meridians, Qi, and traditional theory, dry needling positions itself as a modern, evidence-based alternative that physical therapists, chiropractors, and other non-acupuncturists can adopt without undergoing rigorous years of formal acupuncture training. This strategic rebranding creates a perceived innovation, allowing practitioners to bill differently, market to a different demographic, and sidestep the cultural associations some patients may have with acupuncture.

It is less about a genuine new discovery and more about reframing an old, proven method in contemporary language.

At its core, dry needling is not a revolutionary therapy, but rather a selective borrowing from TCM’s Ashi point technique with a Westernized story wrapped around it. The same stainless steel needles are used. The same process of palpating for tenderness, inserting the needle, and eliciting a therapeutic response is followed. Only the training, which is inadequate compared to Acupuncturists, is different.

And the explanation and marketing differs. By recognizing dry needling for what it truly is — a rebranded slice of traditional acupuncture stripped of its philosophical framework — we can see through the gimmick and appreciate the origins of the method. The real innovation lies not in the technique itself, but in the marketing that has successfully convinced many that it is something entirely new.