Dry Needling

Overview

This is a treatment that helps with the pain of trigger points. Those are small, tender knots in your muscles. They can be very sore when you press them. Sometimes they cause pain in other parts of your body. With dry needling, your therapist targets these knots directly with a thin needle. No medicine is injected.

Preparation

To begin, your therapist presses your muscles to find your trigger points. You may be moved into different positions to try to recreate any pain you've been feeling.

Procedure

Once a trigger point is found, a thin needle is put into that part of the muscle. You may not feel it being inserted. Or, it could be a bit painful. And if your trigger point affects other parts of your body, you may feel some pain there, too. You could feel a twitch, which is like a tiny cramp. The therapist may leave the needle in place for a few minutes. Some therapists rotate or move the needle in and out during treatment. You may need to have more than one trigger point treated.

How it Works

Although it looks like Chinese acupuncture, dry needling is not the same. It is supported by scientific research. It is believed to release tension by interrupting certain nerve signals in the trigger point.

Conclusion

After the treatment, you could feel some soreness. This usually gets better within a day. Your therapist may also recommend other techniques as part of your care plan, like stretches and electrical muscle stimulations.

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.