A systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of Western Medical Acupuncture (WMA) techniques, such as dry needling, manual acupuncture, and percutaneous needle electrolysis, for the management of musculoskeletal pain in athletes. PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Allied and Complementary Medicine, and Google Scholar databases were searched for studies up to July 2023, using biomedical principles without traditional Asian concepts. 8 studies with good internal validity but with publication bias and heterogeneity were included. In pre-post analyses, WMA alone significantly reduced pain (n=5, p=0.002), whereas when combined with exercise or physical therapy, the reduction was non-significant (n=3, p=0.206). When comparing between groups, WMA alone significantly reduced pain (n=1, p=0.0003) and in combination also (n=3, p=0.011). The certainty of the evidence is low for WMA alone and moderate for the combination with physiotherapy or exercise. The findings suggest a preliminary reduction in pain in athletes, but further well-controlled studies are needed.