Dry Needling Treatment in Türkiye: What Does Instagram Whisper to Us?

Abstract

ABS TRACT Objective: Dry needling is an invasive treatment method that physicians use frequently and can be applied for different indications. In this study, the analysis of the posts obtained by using hashtags related to dry needling on Instagram has been made. Material and Methods: On January 01, 2021, the authorship and content analysis of the posts were obtained by questioning the hashtags of #kuruigne, #kuruiğne, #kuruigneleme, #kuruiğneleme, #kuruiğnetedavisi, and #kuruignetedavisi was performed. For each hashtag queried, the "Top 9" post set and the most recent 30 posts were included in the study. Results: Regarding authorship, 36 of the 97 articles evaluated were shared by physicians (37%) and 53 (55%) by nonphysician medical staff. According to the content analysis of the posts, the educational messages were the most popular (58.6%, n=61) content, followed by the advertisements (28.8%, n=30). Conclusion: Enforcement authority of invasive treatment methods such as dry needling treatment is given only to physicians in Türkiye. Although it has been clearly stated in the relevant regulations, it has been observed that non-physician healthcare personnel are active on Instagram with educational content and advertising. In this regard, pain management physicians should be more involved in dry needling in their daily practice and on Instagram.