Hi, Dr. Max has been away.
In 1979, Karel Lewit of Czechoslovakia published what is widely recognized as a landmark paper in the development of dry needling. ‘‘The Needle Effect in the Relief of Myofascial Pain’’ reported his results when needling tender points without injection. The study was a case series and included only cases of chronic pain. Lewit made several important observations which have had an impact on the development of dry needling:
The effect of the technique depended on the intensity of the tenderness at the point and the accuracy of the needling.
He clearly did not confine himself to myofascial trigger points in the narrower sense.
Tender points in scars, ligaments, and periosteal insertions were all included in his study.
He used acupuncture needles as well as hypodermic type needles in his treatments and found that the acupuncture needles were safer and produced less bleeding and bruising.
He described the relief of pain resulting from dry needling as ‘‘The needle effect’’.
The history of “Dry Needling” and “Acupuncture” are intertwingled in a complex way. The historical journey of the needle is an educational read. We must not assume that what we are being told is real news, as with other things in life.
Best wishes from Flaxpool.
Dr. Max.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262695179_A_History_of_Dry_Needling
