If you have been offered dry needling at a physiotherapy clinic and acupuncture at a TCM clinic, you might assume they are the same thing with two names. They use a similar tool, but they come from genuinely different places.
Same needle, different framework
Both use fine, solid filiform needles. The difference is the thinking behind them. Dry needling, sometimes called intramuscular stimulation or IMS, is a modern, anatomically focused approach aimed primarily at releasing myofascial trigger points to relieve muscle tension and pain. Acupuncture, as practised by a Registered Acupuncturist, is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and uses a holistic diagnostic system, aiming to restore balance and address both localized pain and broader internal patterns.
Who can do what in Ontario
In Ontario the title Acupuncturist is restricted to registrants of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario. The act of inserting a needle below the skin, however, is a controlled act that several regulated professionals, including physiotherapists and chiropractors, can legally perform under the rules of their own colleges. Physiotherapists are highly trained in the musculoskeletal system and use dry needling effectively as part of physical rehabilitation.
Which one fits your situation
Neither is better in the abstract. If your problem is a specific muscle or movement issue within a rehabilitation plan, dry needling with a physiotherapist may be exactly right.Frozen shoulder is a common example of this, where our approach to acupuncture for frozen shoulder looks at the whole picture rather than just the joint. Our acupuncture vs physiotherapy page goes further into choosing between, or combining, the two.
