title: The effect of dry needling for myofascial trigger points in the neck and shoulders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  and purpose: The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis is to determine the effect of dry needling in the treatment of MTrPs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searches were performed using the electronic databases AMED, EBM reviews, Embase, and Ovid MEDLINE (all from database inception-February 2012).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared dry needling with another form of treatment or placebo and included pain intensity as an outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two blinded reviewers independently screened the articles, scored their methodological quality and extracted data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) quality scale and the Cochrane risk of bias tool were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four RCTs compared dry needling to lidocaine and one RCT compared dry needling to placebo. Meta-analyses of dry needling revealed no significant difference between dry needling and lidocaine immediately after treatment standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.41 (95%CI -0.15 to 0.97), at one month (SMD -1.46; 95% CI -2.04 to 4.96) and three to six months (SMD -0.28; 95% CI -0.63 to 0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although not significant in the meta-analyses, there were interesting patterns favoring lidocaine immediately after treatment and dry needling at three to six months.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physiotherapy Research, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Department of Allied Health and Medicine, Faculty of Health, Social Care, and Education, Anglia Ruskin University, Rivermead Campus, Bishops Hall Lane, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ, UK. Electronic address: leica.claydon@anglia.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Leica S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Claydon
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009209:Myofascial Pain Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D009333:Neck; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012782:Shoulder; D061028:Trigger Points
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine
keywords: Dry needling; Lidocaine; Myofascial trigger points; Randomised controlled trial