Dry Needling
In the absence of reliable evidence, it is the opinion of the workgroup that the utility/efficacy of dry needling is unclear and requires additional evidence.

Rationale

Two high quality studies examining the effectiveness of dry needling in combination with either exercise versus sham dry needling and exercise, (Sanchez, 2019) or dry needling combined with manual therapy and exercise versus manual therapy and exercise alone (Dunning, 2018) were reviewed. Sanchez et al. 2019 found no difference in clinical outcomes of pain or function between treatment groups. In contrast, Dunning et al. found greater improvements in measures of pain and function in the group receiving dry needling. The inconsistency in the results of these studies has prompted the workgroup not to make a recommendation for or against dry needling at this time. Additional evidence will be required before a recommendation can be made.

Future Research

Continued research with larger studies to examine the effectiveness of dry needling for reducing pain and improving function in patients with knee osteoarthritis is warranted.