Traditional Chinese acupuncture manipulations and “dry needling”

Abstract

In this paper, the authors studied the manipulation of “dry needling”, reviewed Chinese ancient and modern literature of acupuncture-moxibustion, and found that “dry needling” is very similar to triple needling, superficial needling, joint valley needling, surround needling, and other traditional Chinese acupuncture-moxibustion manipulations; even if in modern China, before and after the invention of “dry needling”, some unique therapies, such as oblique insertion therapy at Ashi point, sliver needling, Fu's subcutaneous needling, and long-round needling, were also invented. It can be seen that “dry needling” therapy is actually a kind of differentiation of traditional Chinese acupuncture-moxibustion in the international communication. The spread of traditional Chinese acupuncture-moxibustion in the West is the basis for the invention of “dry needling” therapy, and “dry needling” therapy develops and enriches traditional Chinese acupuncture-moxibustion.