Is acupuncture the same thing as dry needling?
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Sort of.
Dry needling is the practice of inserting very very fine needles into muscle tissue, with the goal of producing a twitch response (mini contraction) that leads to relaxation. This works because the needle disrupts the electrical gradients between cells, leading to a calcium release that illicits a contraction (calcium binds to muscle proteins to produce a contraction). As such, it has a relatively well-supported and understood anatomical and physiological basis.
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting very very fine needles into muscle tissue along so called “meridian lines,” which allegedly are connected to numerous organs and organ function. It’s been around for thousands of years and people swear by it, but, if it does work, no one’s been able to prove why.
You might as well try both. If you get relief, cool. If not, don’t be too surprised. If you want to poke yourself with sharp things, definitely start with dry needling, as it has a much better evidence base at this point in time.