Effectiveness of deep dry needling versus manual therapy in the treatment of myofascial temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis - Chiropractic & Manual Therapies

Initially, the aim was to compare the effects of manual therapy and dry needling for multiple outcomes and at different follow-up time points. Indirect comparisons between dry needling and manual therapy showed no significant differences in their effects on pain reduction. However, the results of the NMA showed manual therapy as the intervention with the highest probability of success in reducing pain, followed by dry needling. In contrast, the treatment ranking in the previous meta-analysis showed that dry needling ranked lower than botulinum toxin. At present, there is a lack of RCTs comparing dry needling and manual therapy for the treatment of myofascial TMD.