Are Acupuncture and Dry Needling the Same?

At first glance, acupuncture and dry needling might look identical—they both use very fine needles. But as your “pattern detective,” I can tell you there’s more to the story.

Acupuncture is a complete medical system, over 2,000 years old, designed to treat the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. It not only relieves pain, but also helps with sleep, digestion, mood, hormones, and long-term balance.

Dry needling, by contrast, is a modern offshoot. What most people don’t realize is that it’s essentially one technique from acupuncture, known as a shi point needling—“that’s it!” points that feel sore and need release. In Chinese medicine, that’s just one piece of the puzzle, never the whole picture.

👉 Read the full article here to uncover all the differences in training, philosophy, safety, and results

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