Dry Needling is a procedure where fine needles are inserted into a trigger point or muscle that has increased tone and which is causing pain and reduced joint mobility. Trigger points can be defined as hyperirritable muscle tissue which causes referred pain when provoked by a stimulus. Dry needling is very effective in treating musculoskeletal pain, as symptoms are resolved much faster with this treatment than with a massage or stretching alone. This procedure may cause some discomfort, but the discomfort is no more significant than a deep tissue massage. The positive note is that, unlike a deep tissue massage, dry needling creates results that are much more rapid and long-lasting. This treatment method has been very valuable to our practice, as it has helped our patients reach their desired goals faster and creates rapid results.

Dry Needling differs from acupuncture, as dry needling is a more direct treatment approach (it targets the region where symptoms are arising). On the other hand, acupuncture is an eastern medicine approach that targets meridians (channels where energy flows) which may be away from the area of symptoms.

Treatment often consists of leaving the needles in the tissue for anywhere between 5-20 minutes to allow for a significant release of the muscle and fascia (connective tissue that is embedded and envelopes around the muscle). Once the needles are removed, patients can expect the muscle to be much softer and their mobility to be significantly improved.

If dry needling sounds like it may be helpful for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. We look forward to helping you with any musculoskeletal dysfunction you may be experiencing.