What is Dry Needling in Physical Therapy?

Dry Needling is a tool used by trained physical therapists to help accelerate recovery time from injury and pain.  Over the past several years dry needling has been on the steady rise as one of the most popular tools for athletes to manage their pain and get back to training.  Dry needling is also seen now for specific recovery and performance gains for performance athletes.

What is Dry Needling?

Dry Needling is when a physical therapist places a small filiform needle directly into restricted areas or trigger points of muscles to help stimulate healing in the area.  Physical therapists using dry needling are typically targeting specific anatomy in the body to treat musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.  The technique differs from acupuncture as typically the main focus there is restoring energy flow (Qi) in the athletes by targeting their meridian channels.

How Does Dry Needling Work?

With the insertion of the needle into the tight spots and trigger points of muscle, this will stimulate relaxation of the muscles and nervous system.  Positive changes include a reduction in local muscle tension, an increase of blood flow, improvements in pain processing, and endorphin release into the body.  When the needle is placed in a muscle the use of electric stimulation or small needle adjustments are used to create a gentle muscle pump.  Dry needling has been shown to help conditions ranging from chronic pain, specific athletic injuries, tension headaches, and even generalized muscle tightness.

Benefits of Dry Needling

The benefits of dry needling include immediate and long-term pain relief in patients suffering from injury.  Positive benefits are also seen in the strength and mobility of the specific muscles targeted.  These immediate changes help to maximize the benefits of traditional physical therapy techniques like exercise and other manual therapies to treat pain to speed up recovery time.

Is Dry Needling Right for You?

Dry needling may be a great option for you if you are dealing with chronic or acute pain, an athlete recovering from injury, or have post-surgical limitations including lingering muscle stiffness.  It may not be appropriate for you if you have an open wound, various medical conditions, or have a needle phobia.  Only licensed providers who have taken the prerequisite training are able to perform the procedure to ensure the technique is right for you and safe.

Common Myths and Misconceptions

“It’s the Same as Acupuncture”

Dry Needling is not the same as traditional acupuncture as the goal of dry needling is to treat neuromusculoskeletal function, pain, and movement impairments based on Western medical diagnosis and targets.  Acupuncture is based on the traditional Chinese model with the goal is to identify and treat imbalances in the body’s energy, or Qi, that may be causing physical or emotional symptoms.

“It’s Painful”

Modern dry needling with the use of minimal needle manipulation and more electrical stimulation allows the patient to have a much more pleasant experience.  Soreness, achiness, and cramping can be felt temporarily during treatment and shortly after treatment, but this is often a sign of a positive treatment effect.  Typically there is actually an immediate reduction in the pain being treated along with feeling more mobile and strong in the area needled.

“It’s a Cure-All”

Dry needling can have immediate and dramatic effects in pain levels and function, but it is best used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.  Combining needling with other physical therapy modalities allows for a more positive and longer-lasting effect.

Success Stories and Testimonials

“The dry needling treatments for my knee and shoulders have been a game-changer, providing much-needed relief and improved mobility. Highly recommend their services for anyone seeking effective and personalized care!”

“I appreciate how individualized appointments and treatment approaches are, and dry needling has also been a life saver to supplement exercises.”

How to Get Started with Dry Needling

Look for physical therapists with dry needling advanced certifications and training found in their bios.  When selecting your provider ask if they use newer techniques like electrical stimulation with their needling, how many visits are typically required using dry needling for your condition, and what other techniques are typically seen with needling in one visit.  Also, make sure to ask if there are any additional costs to adding dry needling to your PT visits.

To book with a physical therapist using the latest dry needling techniques within a personalized performance-based PT session search for an Onward Physical Therapist near you.