What is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is a clinically proven technique used by physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to relieve pain and enhance patient rehab. The technique involves inserting thin needles into muscle trigger points in order to “reset” the neuromusculoskeletal system in a positive way. It has been shown to be effective in treating many conditions such as, rotator cuff pain, biceps tendinitis, iliotibial band syndrome, Achilles tendinitis, low back pain, tennis elbow, whiplash or neck pain, headaches, muscle strains, hip pain and TMJ pain.

The Pros and Cons of Dry Needling

If you are thinking about trying dry needling, here are some of its benefits:

• Pain Relief
  • The insertion of the needle into trigger points can stimulate the release of endorphins, which are natural pain-relieving substances in the body. This can help reduce muscle tension and decrease nerve sensitivity.
• Improves Muscle Function
  • By targeting tight muscles and trigger points, dry needling helps release these bands of muscle tissue, which can help improve range of motion, flexibility and strength.

• Facilitates Tissue Healing
  • Dry needling stimulates blood flow to the treated area, which can facilitate the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and tissues. This increased blood flow can help promote tissue repair and speed up a patient’s recovery time after injury.
• Reduces Inflammation
  • Dry needling has been shown to help decrease inflammation related to tendinitis, arthritis and impingement.

• Minimally Invasive
  • Compared to invasive procedures like surgery, dry needling is relatively non-invasive. The use of thin monofilaments minimizes tissue damage and discomfort during procedure.

• Targeted Approach
  • Dry needling is more specific than other soft tissue techniques like massage and Graston and can target deeper muscles in order to promote healing at the source of the problem.

• Quick and Long-Lasting Results
  • Many individuals experience pain relief and noticeable improvements in a short amount of time. Coupling dry needling with other interventions such as strength, flexibility and mobility exercises can make long standing changes.

• Reduces Need for Pain Medication
  • The natural pain relieving properties of dry needling can minimize the need to take addictive pain medications that have caused an epidemic in our healthcare system.

The cons of dry needling are fairly minimal but are still important to consider before trying it. Dry Needling can cause:

• Discomfort
  • Dry needling does involve inserting needles into tight bands of tissue. This can cause some minimal discomfort. As muscles start to loosen up, this discomfort should ease.

• Muscle Soreness
  • The goal of dry needling is to stimulate muscles in order to affect change in the muscle tissue. This can cause some muscle soreness. This is a normal response and should last for no more than 24 hours after treatment.

• Bruising or Minor Bleeding
  • Depending upon skin sensitivity you might experience some bruising where the needle was inserted. This is most often temporary.

• Risk of Injury
  • Dry needling should always be performed by trained and licensed health care professionals in order to minimize the risk of puncturing important structures.