Dry Needling
What is dry needling?
Dry needling is a technique that chiropractors, physical therapists and other trained healthcare providers use to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement issues. It’s almost always used as part of a larger pain management plan that could include exercise, stretching, massage and other techniques. During this treatment, a provider inserts thin, sharp needles through your skin to treat underlying myofascial trigger points.
In the word “myofascial,” “myo” means “muscle.” Fascia is the thin, white connective tissue wrapped around your muscles.
Trigger points are knotted, tender areas that develop in your muscles. These trigger points are highly sensitive and can be painful when touched. Sometimes, a trigger point may be near the location of your pain. But they’re also often the cause of referred pain. Referred pain is pain that affects another part of your body.
Chiropractors use needles to alleviate your trigger points. When dry needling is applied to your muscles and tissues, it can decrease tightness, increase blood flow and reduce local and referred pain. Providers use solid needles that don’t contain any kind of medication. This is why the technique is called “dry.” Nothing is injected into your body. Trigger point injections are different. They contain medicine and are performed by a physician.
Other names for dry needling are trigger point dry needling and intramuscular stimulation.
How does dry needling work?
When your muscle is overused, it goes into an energy crisis where the muscle fibers aren’t getting an adequate blood supply. When they don’t get the normal blood supply, they don’t get the oxygen and nutrients that allow your muscle to go back to its normal resting state.
When this happens, the tissue near your trigger point becomes more acidic. Your nerves are sensitized, which makes the area sore and painful.
Stimulating a trigger point with a needle helps draw normal blood supply back to flush out the area and release tension. The prick sensation can also fire off nerve fibers that stimulate your brain to release endorphins, your body’s homemade pain medication.
Once your chiropractor locates a trigger point, they’ll insert a needle through your skin directly into it. They might move the needle around a little to try to get what’s called a local twitch response — a quick spasm of your muscle. This reaction can be a good sign that your muscle is reacting.
Some people feel improvement in their pain and mobility almost immediately after a dry needling session. For others, it takes more than one session.
Does dry needling hurt?
Trigger points are usually painful to the touch. So, before the needling, you may experience some pain while your provider is locating the trigger point.
You may also feel discomfort during the needling. Sometimes, people don’t feel the needle going in because it’s so small, but other times, people will feel a prick. When the needle is in the trigger point, it can be painful and cause a twitch response. Afterward, you may feel tightness or soreness near the insertion site, but it’s important to keep moving and stretching.
What does dry needling do?
Dry needling may help relieve pain and increase your range of motion. Conditions that dry needling may treat include:
Who shouldn’t get dry needling treatments?
There are certain groups of people who shouldn’t receive dry needling. Providers don’t recommend the procedure for children under the age of 12 because it can be painful. You and your child will both need to provide consent, and you should consider other less invasive options first. Other groups who should consult with their physician before receiving dry needling include people who:
Risks / Benefits: What are the benefits of dry needling?
As part of your overall treatment plan, dry needling has many benefits. The procedure is inexpensive and generally considered safe. It carries a low risk of complications if performed by a trained provider.
Research shows dry needling can release your trigger points, which may help relieve your muscle pain and stiffness. Releasing your trigger points may also increase your flexibility and improve your range of motion.
What are the potential side effects of dry needling? The most common side effect of dry needling is soreness during and after treatment.
Other side effects are typically minor. They may include:
Dry needling vs. acupuncture — what’s the difference?
Dry needling isn’t the same as acupuncture. Both procedures involve penetrating your skin with needles. They use the same type of needles, but that’s where the similarities end.
Different providers with different training perform dry needling. Acupuncture is performed by licensed acupuncturists and based in Eastern medicine, while dry needling is based in Western medicine and evaluation of pain patterns, postures, faulty movement patterns and orthopedic testing.
Acupuncture treats musculoskeletal pain but also treats other systems of your body. Dry needling treats muscle tissue with the goal of reducing pain, inactivating trigger points and improving movement. Typically, it’s used as part of a broader approach to your care plan.
Dry needling is a safe, minimally painful and often very effective technique for people with certain musculoskeletal conditions. Many people have found the treatment to be a game-changer in improving their quality of life.
Dry needling is a technique that chiropractors, physical therapists and other trained healthcare providers use to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement issues. It’s almost always used as part of a larger pain management plan that could include exercise, stretching, massage and other techniques. During this treatment, a provider inserts thin, sharp needles through your skin to treat underlying myofascial trigger points.
In the word “myofascial,” “myo” means “muscle.” Fascia is the thin, white connective tissue wrapped around your muscles.
Trigger points are knotted, tender areas that develop in your muscles. These trigger points are highly sensitive and can be painful when touched. Sometimes, a trigger point may be near the location of your pain. But they’re also often the cause of referred pain. Referred pain is pain that affects another part of your body.
Chiropractors use needles to alleviate your trigger points. When dry needling is applied to your muscles and tissues, it can decrease tightness, increase blood flow and reduce local and referred pain. Providers use solid needles that don’t contain any kind of medication. This is why the technique is called “dry.” Nothing is injected into your body. Trigger point injections are different. They contain medicine and are performed by a physician.
Other names for dry needling are trigger point dry needling and intramuscular stimulation.
How does dry needling work?
When your muscle is overused, it goes into an energy crisis where the muscle fibers aren’t getting an adequate blood supply. When they don’t get the normal blood supply, they don’t get the oxygen and nutrients that allow your muscle to go back to its normal resting state.
When this happens, the tissue near your trigger point becomes more acidic. Your nerves are sensitized, which makes the area sore and painful.
Stimulating a trigger point with a needle helps draw normal blood supply back to flush out the area and release tension. The prick sensation can also fire off nerve fibers that stimulate your brain to release endorphins, your body’s homemade pain medication.
Once your chiropractor locates a trigger point, they’ll insert a needle through your skin directly into it. They might move the needle around a little to try to get what’s called a local twitch response — a quick spasm of your muscle. This reaction can be a good sign that your muscle is reacting.
Some people feel improvement in their pain and mobility almost immediately after a dry needling session. For others, it takes more than one session.
Does dry needling hurt?
Trigger points are usually painful to the touch. So, before the needling, you may experience some pain while your provider is locating the trigger point.
You may also feel discomfort during the needling. Sometimes, people don’t feel the needle going in because it’s so small, but other times, people will feel a prick. When the needle is in the trigger point, it can be painful and cause a twitch response. Afterward, you may feel tightness or soreness near the insertion site, but it’s important to keep moving and stretching.
What does dry needling do?
Dry needling may help relieve pain and increase your range of motion. Conditions that dry needling may treat include:
- Joint issues.
- Disk issues.
- Tendonitis.
- Migraine and tension-type headaches.
- Jaw and mouth problems, such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
- Whiplash.
- Repetitive motion disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Spinal issues.
- Pelvic pain.
- Night cramps.
- Phantom limb pain.
- Postherpetic neuralgia, a complication of shingles.
Who shouldn’t get dry needling treatments?
There are certain groups of people who shouldn’t receive dry needling. Providers don’t recommend the procedure for children under the age of 12 because it can be painful. You and your child will both need to provide consent, and you should consider other less invasive options first. Other groups who should consult with their physician before receiving dry needling include people who:
- Are pregnant.
- Aren’t able to understand the treatment.
- Are very afraid of needles (trypanophobia).
- Have compromised immune systems.
- Have just had surgery.
- Are on blood thinners.
Risks / Benefits: What are the benefits of dry needling?
As part of your overall treatment plan, dry needling has many benefits. The procedure is inexpensive and generally considered safe. It carries a low risk of complications if performed by a trained provider.
Research shows dry needling can release your trigger points, which may help relieve your muscle pain and stiffness. Releasing your trigger points may also increase your flexibility and improve your range of motion.
What are the potential side effects of dry needling? The most common side effect of dry needling is soreness during and after treatment.
Other side effects are typically minor. They may include:
- Stiffness.
- Bruising at or near the insertion site.
- Fainting.
- Fatigue.
- If shortness of breath occurs, contact your provider or physician or call 911 immediately. If the needling was performed in your thoracic area, it could cause a collapsed lung (pneumothorax). This is extremely rare but requires a chest X-ray and further care.
Dry needling vs. acupuncture — what’s the difference?
Dry needling isn’t the same as acupuncture. Both procedures involve penetrating your skin with needles. They use the same type of needles, but that’s where the similarities end.
Different providers with different training perform dry needling. Acupuncture is performed by licensed acupuncturists and based in Eastern medicine, while dry needling is based in Western medicine and evaluation of pain patterns, postures, faulty movement patterns and orthopedic testing.
Acupuncture treats musculoskeletal pain but also treats other systems of your body. Dry needling treats muscle tissue with the goal of reducing pain, inactivating trigger points and improving movement. Typically, it’s used as part of a broader approach to your care plan.
Dry needling is a safe, minimally painful and often very effective technique for people with certain musculoskeletal conditions. Many people have found the treatment to be a game-changer in improving their quality of life.
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