The Effect of Dry Needling on Sleep Quality in Individuals With Musculoskeletal Pain Disorders

To explore existing evidence and identify whether dry needling (DN) intervention has effects on sleep disturbance in patients with musculoskeletal pain.

The Arksey and O'Malley framework guided the scoping review methodology. Seven databases were searched for clinical trials investigating DN in musculoskeletal pain disorders. Methodological quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Data extraction included study year, location, study design, musculoskeletal pain disorder, needling intervention type, and sleep outcome measure utilized.

After duplicates were removed, 2292 articles were identified, and 33 studies were included in the review after independent screening. Two supplemental searches (May 2023 and January 2024) in addition to a hand search yielded an additional 146 articles. A total of 21 of those studies were also included, increasing the total to 54 studies. A total of 46 (84%) articles were RCTs and 8 (16%) were single-group, pretest-posttest clinical trials. A total of 9 studies were of optimal quality (PEDro score ≥ 8), and 11 were of moderate-to-high quality (PEDro score = 7).

Due to significant variability in intervention, sleep outcome measurement, patient population, and study methodology quality, the evidence is mixed and inconclusive to support or refute the effects of DN on sleep deficits in individuals with musculoskeletal pain. However, future studies investigating the effects of needling interventions on musculoskeletal pain conditions should include valid sleep outcome measurements if considered.