What is dry needling?

Dry Needling, or myofascial trigger point dry needling (MFTrPDN) is a relatively new, but often effective treatment for myofascial disorders. Some of you may have heard of or even experienced this form of treatment before. Dry needling uses thin filament needles directly in painful/tight muscles, or trigger points (more commonly known as muscle knots). The purpose of dry needling is to restore proper function to abnormally behaving muscles. Nodules, or knots, and tight bands that develop in the muscle create localized pain or send pain signals to other locations. The affected muscles become locked and cannot function normally, which restricts movement and causes pain. Dry Needling has also been shown to improve blood flow to the treated area. Decreased or restricted blood flow is a sign often associated with myofascial pain.

There are various forms of dry needling, however; the two most common methods are known as the “in-and-out” technique or the “in-situ” technique. With the in-and-out technique, your practitioner will put a thin filament needle into the trigger point or tight muscle and then quickly remove the needle. This may be repeated multiple times to a single muscle or trigger point. With the in-situ technique, your practitioner will use multiple needles and place them throughout the trigger point or tight muscle. Once the needles are place they will be left in the tissue for about 5 to 10 minutes before being removed. Both methods have been shown to be effective and it will be up to your practitioner as to which you will receive.

A question I am often asked when it comes to dry needling is about the difference between dry needling and acupuncture. While the tool may be similar (a thin filament needle) the major difference come from the approach and methods. Acupuncture originated in China centuries ago and is based on the specified release of endorphins to effect chi and energy channels for the treatment of diseases. Dry needling originated in the last century and focuses specifically on trigger points and tight muscles.

Dry needling is typically not done as a stand-alone treatment at Arlington Pain & Rehab. If this is something that your practitioner decides to incorporate into your treatment plan it will likely be performed before or after some other treatments, such as; manual therapy, chiropractic manipulation, e-stim, and therapeutic exercises. Your doctor will always choose the combination of treatments that is right for you.

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P.S. Want to try dry needling? Set up an appointment today!