Are Dry Needling and Acupuncture the Same?

The short answer is: No, they’re not the same, but the long answer is a little more nuanced.

If you're searching for pain relief in San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbell, or Willow Glen, you've likely come across two popular options: Dry Needling and Acupuncture. While they both use thin, sterile needles, the two therapies are not the same—and knowing the difference could dramatically improve your treatment results.

The Key Differences:

1. Origin & Philosophy

Acupuncture originates from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system developed over 2,000 years ago. It focuses on balancing the flow of energy (Qi) through the body's meridians to promote healing, reduce pain, and restore health. Each acupuncture point is located anatomically in a distinct location and has specific functions, both by stimulating the same meridian, but also having an effect holistically on the entire body. Think about it this way: if you want to turn on the light in a room, you turn on a switch located near the entrance to the room. You could use a ladder to screw in a light bulb in the ceiling to turn the light on, but it makes more sense to work distally, that is, most conveniently. The same is with acupuncture points; sometimes, needling away from the area of pain/discomfort has the most benefit of improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and promoting the body’s natural response to healing.
Dry Needling is a modern Western medical technique used to deactivate muscular trigger points—those tight "knots" causing pain and dysfunction. Trigger points are distinct, physically taught bands of neuro-muscular tissue that create referral patterns due to their tight nature. Think about your muscles as rubber bands. They contract and relax with movement. Now, think about twisting and tying a knot in the middle of a rubber band; the more distal two ends are shorter than they were before, and can’t contract and relax properly, so it pulls on all the fascia and other muscles around that specific muscle fiber. Dry needling uses Acupuncture needles to physically break and unwind those taut bands to improve range of motion, reduce pain, and, for most joint problems, increase joint space.

2. Techniques

Acupuncturists employ a holistic approach that may include electroacupuncture, cupping therapy, herbal medicine, and diagnostic evaluations based on tongue and pulse assessment. The questioning and diagnostic skills also lend themselves towards lifestyle changes/modifications that integrate a person’s whole health into their treatment. Meaning, just because you’re coming in for pain, we’d want to know if stress, lack of sleep, and digestion could be impacting your body’s natural ability to rebound from pain. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, everything is connected.
Dry Needling is used to mechanically disrupt dysfunctional muscle fibers and stimulate a healing response, often for sports injuries, chronic pain, and postural problems. In this way, this particular therapy focuses on the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that cause movement dysfunctions, pain, and inflammation. Its primary focus is to release trigger points mechanically and physically, allowing your movement patterns and posture to improve. However, the other half of the picture involves improving posture and range of motion by strengthening previously weak muscles and continuing to enhance circulation through movement.

3. Education & Safety

At Box Acupuncture, all dry needling is performed by licensed acupuncturists who have completed rigorous post-doctoral certifications in Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy. Dr. Aaron Lee, DAOM, is one of the first in the Bay Area to be certified by Myopain Seminars.
California Acupuncture Board-licensed acupuncturists already have over 3,000 hours of didactic and in-person clinical experience using acupuncture needles. Therefore, the general insertion technique is already in place to reduce pain and improve comfort with any needling methods, whether it be Acupuncture or Dry Needling Therapy.

Currently, in California, physical therapists, chiropractors, and athletic trainers are not legally permitted to perform dry needling; however, many still do. This can pose serious safety concerns if not performed by a properly trained provider.

Which One Is Right for You?

Patients seeking targeted pain relief—especially athletes, weekend warriors, or those recovering from surgery—may benefit most from a combined approach.

Dr. Aaron Lee specializes in integrating: