Barrett Tiffany L, Kearns Gary A, Puentedura Emilio J, Brismée Jean-Michel
Tiffany L. Barrett is an associate professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the School of Healthcare Professions in the Augustana University, 2001 S Summit Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57197 (
Gary A. Kearns is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences in the Center for Rehabilitation Research at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
J Phys Ther Educ. 2025 Mar 11. doi: 10.1097/JTE.0000000000000393.
Despite the growing clinical use of dry needling (DN) among physical therapists in the United States and its gradual adoption into entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs, limited research exists on DN safety within educational settings. This study aims to report the type and incidence of adverse events (AEs) associated with DN instruction in DPT programs.
To date, there has been no reporting on DN-related AEs during DPT education, making the relative risk of DN education unclear.
Three hundred thirty-eight students and 10 faculty members from 10 US DPT programs.
Questionnaires and structured interviews investigated the type and incidence of AEs during DN instruction in DPT programs. Students documented prelaboratory comfort levels with DN and AEs experienced by their partners during laboratory practice. Postlaboratory interviews with DPT faculty gathered insights into AEs during instruction. Statistical methods included descriptive frequencies of AEs and reported pain. The AEs were classified as side effects, minor, moderate, or major, and were reported as percentages of total needle insertions and by body region.
Among 338 DPT students (mean age = 26.3 years), no major or moderate AEs were recorded over 1,173 needle insertions and 16 muscle areas. The most reported side effects were soreness (48%) and pain (37%). Pain was self-reported by 50% of students, with the majority experiencing low levels (0-3/10) on the numerical pain rating scale. Lower prelaboratory comfort levels were reported between those who experienced a minor AE and those who did not (P = .030). Side effects and minor AEs in DPT education appeared to closely resemble those in clinical settings.
Student safety performing DN was high, with no major AEs reported. Faculty self-selection of muscle areas may have influenced major AE reporting. Findings suggest that DN can be safely included within DPT education, with risks similar to those in clinical practice.
尽管在美国物理治疗师中，干针疗法（DN）在临床中的应用日益广泛，并且逐渐被纳入物理治疗博士（DPT）入门课程，但在教育环境中，关于DN安全性的研究却很有限。本研究旨在报告DPT课程中与DN教学相关的不良事件（AE）的类型和发生率。
迄今为止，尚无关于DPT教育期间与DN相关的AE的报告，因此DN教育的相对风险尚不清楚。
来自美国10个DPT项目的338名学生和10名教员。
通过问卷调查和结构化访谈，调查DPT课程中DN教学期间AE的类型和发生率。学生记录了实验前对DN的舒适度以及其实习伙伴在实验室练习期间经历的AE。对DPT教员进行实验后的访谈，以深入了解教学期间的AE。统计方法包括AE的描述性频率和报告的疼痛情况。AE被分为副作用、轻微、中度或严重，并报告为总进针次数的百分比以及按身体部位划分的情况。
在338名DPT学生（平均年龄=26.3岁）中，在1173次进针和16个肌肉区域中未记录到严重或中度AE。报告最多的副作用是酸痛（48%）和疼痛（37%）。50%的学生自我报告有疼痛，大多数人在数字疼痛评分量表上的疼痛程度较低（0-3/10）。经历轻微AE的学生和未经历轻微AE的学生在实验前的舒适度报告存在差异（P = 0.030）。DPT教育中的副作用和轻微AE似乎与临床环境中的情况非常相似。
学生进行DN操作时的安全性较高，未报告严重AE。教员对肌肉区域的自我选择可能影响了严重AE的报告。研究结果表明，DN可以安全地纳入DPT教育，其风险与临床实践中的风险相似。
