Dry Needling in Sports and Sport Recovery: A Systematic Review with an Evidence Gap Map

IF 9.3 1区医学 Q1 SPORT SCIENCES Sports Medicine Pub Date : 2025-02-10 DOI:10.1007/s40279-025-02175-9

Adrian Kużdżał, Robert Trybulski, Jarosław Muracki, Sebastian Klich, Filipe Manuel Clemente, Adam Kawczyński

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Abstract

Background

Dry needling is an increasingly popular technique used in sports and regenerative medicine contexts. However, there is no comprehensive overview of investigations of dry needling in sports and sport recovery.

Objectives

The objectives were to perform a systematic review of dry needling in sports athletes with an evidence gap map, to identify current gaps in the literature, and to provide stakeholders with direction for future research.

Methods

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines were followed. Studies on healthy and injured athletes receiving dry needling were included. Three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched, data were synthesized narratively, key data were summarized quantitatively, and an evidence gap map was created.

Results

The authors incorporated 24 studies into the current study, encompassing 580 athletes, predominantly involving talent/developmental and highly trained/national-level athletes across 13 sports. Most studies used passive or placebo controls, with 37.5% incorporating active controls. Interventions focused mainly on the lower limbs (58.3%). Around 69% of studies reported pain perception outcomes, while six examined muscular strength, activity, and range of motion. While results varied, dry needling generally showed a more positive effect on pain than on athletic performance.

Conclusions

Dry needling studies seem to describe general effectiveness and safety for reducing pain and muscle stiffness in a wide variety of body regions. However, further research is needed on underrepresented populations such as elite, world-class, and Paralympic athletes, as well as expanding investigations into long-term effects and a broader range of muscle groups, particularly the hamstrings. The results may be valuable for medical professionals, sports medicine specialists, and researchers.

Registration

OSF project no.: osf.io osf.io/h3yeq.

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背景干针疗法是一种在运动和再生医学领域日益流行的技术。目标对体育运动员的干针疗法进行系统综述，并绘制证据差距图，找出目前文献中存在的差距，并为利益相关者提供未来研究的方向。方法遵循《系统综述与荟萃分析首选报告项目》（PRISMA）2020 指南。研究纳入了有关接受干针疗法的健康和受伤运动员的研究。对三个数据库（PubMed、Scopus 和 Web of Science）进行了检索，对数据进行了叙述性综合，对关键数据进行了定量总结，并绘制了证据差距图。结果作者将 24 项研究纳入了目前的研究，涉及 580 名运动员，主要是 13 个运动项目中的天才/发展型和训练有素/国家级运动员。大多数研究采用被动或安慰剂对照，37.5%的研究采用主动对照。干预主要集中在下肢（58.3%）。约 69% 的研究报告了疼痛感知结果，6 项研究检查了肌肉力量、活动和运动范围。虽然结果各不相同，但干针疗法对疼痛的积极作用一般大于对运动表现的积极作用。结论干针疗法研究似乎描述了减轻身体各部位疼痛和肌肉僵硬的普遍有效性和安全性。不过，还需要对代表性不足的人群（如精英运动员、世界级运动员和残奥会运动员）进行进一步研究，并扩大对长期效果和更广泛肌肉群（尤其是腿筋肌肉群）的调查。研究结果可能对医疗专业人员、运动医学专家和研究人员很有价值。注册OSF项目编号：osf.io osf.io/h3yeq.

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来源期刊

Sports Medicine 医学-运动科学

CiteScore

18.40

自引率

5.10%

发文量

165

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Sports Medicine focuses on providing definitive and comprehensive review articles that interpret and evaluate current literature, aiming to offer insights into research findings in the sports medicine and exercise field. The journal covers major topics such as sports medicine and sports science, medical syndromes associated with sport and exercise, clinical medicine's role in injury prevention and treatment, exercise for rehabilitation and health, and the application of physiological and biomechanical principles to specific sports. Types of Articles: Review Articles: Definitive and comprehensive reviews that interpret and evaluate current literature to provide rationale for and application of research findings. Leading/Current Opinion Articles: Overviews of contentious or emerging issues in the field. Original Research Articles: High-quality research articles. Enhanced Features: Additional features like slide sets, videos, and animations aimed at increasing the visibility, readership, and educational value of the journal's content. Plain Language Summaries: Summaries accompanying articles to assist readers in understanding important medical advances. Peer Review Process: All manuscripts undergo peer review by international experts to ensure quality and rigor. The journal also welcomes Letters to the Editor, which will be considered for publication.