Bravo-Vazquez Ana, Anarte-Lazo Ernesto, Rodriguez-Blanco Cleofas, Bernal-Utrera Carlos
Doctoral Program in Health Sciences, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain.
Faculty of Health, UNIE University, 28015 Madrid, Spain.
J Clin Med. 2025 Jul 28;14(15):5320. doi: 10.3390/jcm14155320.
: Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most prevalent form of primary headache. The etiology of TTH is not yet fully understood, although it is associated with the presence of myofascial trigger points (MTPs) in cervical and facial muscles. Dry needling (DN) therapy has emerged as an effective and safe non-pharmacological option for pain relief, but there are a lack of systematic reviews focused on its specific characteristics in TTH. The aim of this paper is to examine the characteristics and methodologies of DN in managing TTH. : A scoping review was conducted with inclusion criteria considering studies that evaluated DN interventions in adults with TTH, reporting target muscles, diagnostic criteria, and technical features. The search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Web of Science, resulting in the selection of seven studies after a rigorous filtering and evaluation process. : The included studies, primarily randomized controlled trials, involved a total of 309 participants. The most frequently treated muscles were the temporalis and trapezius. Identification of MTPs was mainly performed through manual palpation, although diagnostic criteria varied. DN interventions differed in technique. All studies included indicated favorable outcomes with improvements in headache symptoms. No serious adverse effects were reported, suggesting that the technique is safe. However, heterogeneity in protocols and diagnostic criteria limits the comparability of results. : The evidence supports the use of DN in key muscles such as the temporalis and trapezius for managing TTH, although the diversity in methodologies and diagnostic criteria highlights the need for standardization. The safety profile of the method is favorable, but further research is necessary to define optimal protocols and improve reproducibility. Implementing objective diagnostic criteria and uniform protocols will facilitate advances in clinical practice and future research, ultimately optimizing outcomes for patients with TTH.
紧张型头痛（TTH）是原发性头痛最常见的形式。尽管TTH的病因与颈部和面部肌肉中肌筋膜触发点（MTPs）的存在有关，但其病因尚未完全明确。干针疗法（DN）已成为一种有效且安全的非药物止痛选择，但缺乏针对其在TTH中具体特征的系统评价。本文旨在探讨DN治疗TTH的特征和方法。：进行了一项范围综述，纳入标准考虑评估DN干预成年TTH患者的研究，报告目标肌肉、诊断标准和技术特征。使用PubMed、Embase、Scopus和科学网进行检索，经过严格筛选和评估过程后，最终选择了7项研究。：纳入的研究主要为随机对照试验，共涉及309名参与者。最常治疗的肌肉是颞肌和斜方肌。MTPs的识别主要通过手动触诊进行，尽管诊断标准各不相同。DN干预技术存在差异。所有纳入的研究均表明头痛症状有所改善，结果良好。未报告严重不良反应，表明该技术是安全的。然而，方案和诊断标准的异质性限制了结果的可比性。：证据支持在颞肌和斜方肌等关键肌肉中使用DN治疗TTH，尽管方法和诊断标准的多样性凸显了标准化的必要性。该方法的安全性良好，但需要进一步研究来确定最佳方案并提高可重复性。实施客观的诊断标准和统一的方案将促进临床实践和未来研究的进展，最终优化TTH患者的治疗效果。
