What are the differences between acupuncture and dry needling

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese Medicine modality that has been practiced for more than 3000 years. It has been clinically approved to be effective for pain management, Ob&Gyn problems, and daily common illness like headache, allergy and GI problems. 

Dry Needling is a recent technique developed by western medicine practitioners that using acupuncture needles to puncture skin and release muscle trigger points and for musculoskeletal pain problems. The acupuncture needle is very thin like hairline without any medicine/fluid injection, thus named dry needling.

They are very similar techniques, and based on diagnostic theories that they are given different names. One would say most of orthopedic acupuncturists in the U.S.A are practicing dry needling targeting muscles/tendons.

No matter what it is called, as a patient, the most important things to look for are the practitioner's creditability and practice with safe clean needle technique.