Discover the Benefits of Dry Needling in Physical Therapy

Introduction

You may have heard of a treatment called dry needling and wondered what it is or if it’s right for you. While the name of the procedure may sound intimidating, dry needling is an accessible and commonly offered therapy for people with muscle, ligament, or tendon pain. In this blog, we explore the basics of dry needling, its benefits, and how it compares to acupuncture.

Dry Needling Basics

During a dry needling treatment, one or more thin, monofilament needles are inserted into a muscle trigger point. A trigger point is a local band of tight, irritable, and dysfunctional muscle tissue. This often emerges because of injury, overuse, or poor movement patterns.

Trigger points can disrupt your muscle function, restrict your range of motion, or cause pain and tenderness. Physical therapists or licensed acupuncturists perform an in-depth evaluation to determine if dry needling is appropriate. They discuss your symptoms while assessing mobility and muscle function to determine if trigger points are contributing to your discomfort.

How Does Dry Needling Work?

When dry needling is applied to an affected muscle or trigger point, it can decrease muscle tightness, increase blood flow, and reduce pain. Patients often report immediate relief after treatment. The needles remain in your muscle for a short period — between 10 seconds and 20 minutes — depending on the treatment location, the number of needles used, and the treatment goals.

Dry needling usually is paired with exercise and other physical therapy techniques to prevent trigger points from reoccurring. The needles used are solid and don’t inject liquid into your body. It’s the reason this treatment is referred to as “dry.” All forms of acupuncture use dry needles as well.

Benefits of Dry Needling

1. Pain Relief

Dry needling can reduce pain by decreasing trigger point sensitivity and releasing or inactivating trigger points. Patients often report immediate relief following treatment.

2. Improved Range of Motion

By facilitating nerve recovery and muscle activation, dry needling can enhance range of motion, aiding patients in their journey back to active rehabilitation.

3. Increased Blood Flow

The technique can increase blood flow to the affected area, promoting faster healing of damaged tissues.

4. Reduced Muscle Tension

Dry needling helps decrease muscle tightness, providing relief from discomfort and stiffness.

5. Improved Nerve Communication

Dry needling can trigger signals in the body to release endorphins, natural pain relievers that enhance overall well-being.

Conditions Treated by Dry Needling

Dry needling is a safe technique for treating many musculoskeletal conditions, including:

  • Shoulder pain
  • Rotator cuff pain
  • Biceps tendinitis
  • Iliotibial band syndrome
  • Achilles tendinitis
  • Low back pain
  • Tennis elbow
  • Whiplash or neck pain
  • Headaches
  • Muscle strains
  • Hip pain
  • Temporomandibular pain (TMJ)

Dry Needling and Acupuncture

There are some similarities between dry needling and acupuncture. Both use thin needles inserted at various depths to treat symptoms. The health care professional also may gently move or manipulate the needles after placement. Both acupuncture and dry needling are safe treatments and are usually part of a larger treatment plan. The treatments are widely embraced by many, including those who practice conventional or Western medicine.

However, there are significant differences between acupuncture and dry needling. Acupuncture has been used for about 3,000 years as a key component of traditional Chinese medicine. Its effectiveness has been studied rigorously.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as chi or qi — believed to flow through pathways in your body called meridians. By inserting needles into specific points along these pathways, licensed acupuncturists help rebalance your energy and promote healing. Most of the time, multiple needles are used during treatment. Acupuncture treats a wide range of conditions, including pain, fatigue, infertility, headache, insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a newer treatment that evolved in the last few decades. It focuses exclusively on treating musculoskeletal and neuromuscular pain by releasing trigger points. Acupuncture restores energy flow, while dry needling targets dysfunctional muscle trigger points.

Fewer needles are used during dry needling treatment. It’s often paired with electrical stimulation to enhance the effects of the treatment. This combination causes a gentle contraction and relaxation of the irritable muscle, which helps the muscle relax further.

Is Dry Needling Right for You?

Talk with your primary care provider if you are experiencing muscle, tendon, or ligament pain. Working together, you and your health care team will determine if dry needling is right for you. Like all medical treatments, dry needling should be considered carefully before proceeding.

Conclusion

Dry needling is a valuable tool in physical therapy, offering numerous benefits from pain relief to improved range of motion and enhanced healing. If you’re experiencing any of the conditions mentioned above, dry needling might be a beneficial addition to your treatment plan.

Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, please consult a healthcare professional.

Learn More

At The Human Performance and Wellness Center, we are dedicated to helping our patients achieve pain relief and improved function through personalized care. Contact us today to find out if dry needling is right for you.