Dry needling for trigger-point neck pain 2020 (updated systematic review)

Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of dry needling for myofascial trigger points associated with neck pain. Low-to-moderate-quality evidence supported a short-term reduction in pain intensity and pain-related disability versus sham, control or other physiotherapy, but found no significant effect on cervical range of motion or pressure pain sensitivity, and the medium- and long-term effects were not established. Trial quality was a recurring limitation. Consistent with the wider dry-needling literature across conditions: short-term pain relief at best, on thin evidence, with no durable advantage.