Acupuncture and dry needling both involve needle therapy to treat pain, but they’re very different practices. To clarify the differences, we’ve outlined the two therapies below. Acupuncture, a 5000-year-old practice, originating in China and certified as Traditional Chinese Medicine. A form of alternative or complimentary medicine, acupuncture requires fine needles to be inserted into specific pathways along the body called meridians. Acupuncturists believe chi runs through the body via 12 meridian pathways that are linked to internal organs. Fine needles are inserted at points along these pathways to redirect the flow of the energy, which then alleviates pain, stress and...