Acupuncture Is the OG. Healing Starts with Whole-Body Health

I get asked this question all the time: What’s the difference between acupuncture and dry needling?

Let me be direct with you because I believe in honesty and clarity when it comes to your health: Dry needling is not new. It’s not different. It’s actually just a modern take on what Traditional Chinese Medicine has been doing for thousands of years.

Dry needling came about in the 1940s when a doctor doing trigger point therapy with a hypodermic needle noticed pain relief. After realizing the infection risk was too high, they switched to acupuncture needles and renamed it “dry needling.” Not throwing shade, I want to educate you on the difference, as I have realized Nobody is answering the question!

So what's the real difference?

Dry needling targets muscle tension with a twitch response to bring temporary relief, often using a pecking technique to get the muscle to release. Sometimes it's paired with electro-stimulation. And yes, it can help relieve pain quickly.

But here's the key. Dry needling is for some symptom relief. Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture is for healing.

Acupuncture is built on a system that understands the mind, the body, and the spirit as one. It works through meridians, Qi (your life force), yin and yang, and a deep understanding of how organ systems and energy channels relate to one another. When something is off, whether it’s pain, illness, emotional stress, or even chronic injury, TCM doesn’t just treat the symptom. It treats the root.

Have unexplained neck pain with no injury? TCM knows why.

Waking up every night between 1 and 3 AM? TCM knows what’s happening in your liver.

Had knee surgery three years ago and it still aches, flares red, or causes you heartburn and eye styes? TCM sees the bigger picture.

This is whole-body health. And this is what we need when we’re in pain, injured, or battling something deeper.

Here’s something else that matters. Acupuncturists go to school for several years to receive their doctorate in Traditional Chinese Medicine. We are trained in an entire medical system. In contrast, those who practice dry needling usually receive their doctorate in another field such as physical therapy or chiropractic care and then complete a 300-hour course to be certified in dry needling. Ask yourself this. Would you want a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor to take a 300-hour weekend course and then start adjusting your spine or creating your rehab plan after hip surgery? Probably not. And yet that’s exactly what’s happening in reverse with dry needling.

I am a STRONG believer in staying in my lane of expertise for the benefit of my patients! I have a degree in Functional Medicine for knowledge purposes, I do not “use” Functional Medicine to treat my patients. I refer my patients to Functional Medicine Doctor. I understand and work with the mantic of the human body, I will refer my patients to a Physical Therapist – You get my point😊

It’s important to know who is treating you and how they are trained.

Nikki Vanecek is not just an acupuncturist. She’s the acupuncturist for the Minnesota Twins. She brings elite-level skill, clinical experience, and the healing power of Traditional Chinese Medicine to help your body restore itself from the inside out.

Whether you’re a professional athlete or a high performer in your everyday life, your body deserves more than quick fixes. YOU deserve whole body healing that is sustainable with your repetitive activities, life, and emotions.

Acupuncture isn’t trendy. It’s timeless. It’s not an alternative. It’s the original.

Acupuncture is the OG of healing with needles! 😊