Safety of dry needling in stroke patients: a scoping review.
Iris Malfait, Sabien Gijsbers, Annemie Smeets and 4 others
PMID 38502557WHAT IT FOUND
Safety data for dry needling in stroke patients is missing from most studies.
Among the few that reported it, no serious adverse events occurred, but minor issues like bruising and pain were common. Most patients take blood thinners, a major risk factor often ignored.
Key findings
01Only six of the twenty-five included studies reported on adverse events, and none reported serious adverse events.
02Minor adverse events such as post-needling pain, hematoma, and soreness were reported in five of the six studies that tracked them.
03Most studies did not report whether patients were taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication, despite this being a common contraindication or precaution for dry needling.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The vast majority of included studies (19 of 25) did not report adverse events, making it impossible to draw firm conclusions about safety. There was high heterogeneity in how dry needling was applied, with varying techniques, target muscles, and session numbers. Most studies did not report whether participants were taking anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, which is a critical safety factor for stroke patients. The quality of the studies that did report adverse events was rated low to moderate. The review included a mix of study designs, including case reports and trials, which limits the strength of the evidence.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the absence of serious adverse events in this review as proof that dry needling is safe for stroke patients. The review found that most studies simply did not report safety outcomes, and those that did often failed to account for the bleeding risks associated with the anticoagulant medications most stroke patients take.