Dry needling versus corticosteroid injections to treat tendinopathy: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: During physical activity and exercises, there is more stress and forces are exerted on the tendon, which increases the risk of injury. There are several studies that suggest dry needling has a positive effect in treating tendinopathy. Corticosteroid injections are the most commonly used treatment for acute and chronic tendon lesions. In this review, we will compare different lines of treatment; dry needling and corticosteroid injections for tendinopathy and their efficacy in reducing symptoms. The aim of this systematic review is to critically analyze the literature to find the effect of dry needling when compared with corticosteroid injection in treating tendinopathy. Method: This systematic review was directed according to “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis” guidelines. The principal research question that was studied “Is dry needling better than corticosteroid injections in treating tendinopathy?” Various different electronic databases were used to search relevant articles using different keywords. Articles were collected altogether and selected on the basis of eligibility criteria. The closing sets of articles were selected after complete screening. Result: Both dry needling and corticosteroid injections are effective in treating tendinopathy for both short term whereas dry needling is more significantly effective in long-term use. Conclusion: Dry needling is superior to corticosteroid injection in treating tendinopathy.