dry needle acupunctureHow does Dry Needling work?

With Dry Needling, the needles are used to target the trigger point of the problem muscle, this is known as the myofascial trigger point and is often described as a muscle ‘knot’ which contributes to muscle pain and dysfunction.

The needle is gently inserted into the skin directly at this point and often a local twitch response is experienced, this is a good sign and is what the therapist is looking for. It means the trigger point has been stimulated, jump starting the muscle and nerve supply and increasing the blood flow to the area which helps to relax the muscle.  When this local twitch response occurs, a brief painful response might be felt but it won’t last for more than a second.

After dry needling treatment the area that was treated will feel much softer and relaxed and the person will feel looser.

In the hands of a skilled practitioner, dry needling can be used in most cases the majority of the time and with less energy expenditure on behalf of the practitioner and equal or better effect than other manual techniques currently being used. If practiced well there is also a remarkable absence of the “post treatment tissue soreness” often experienced by the subject following other manual therapy interventions.

What Types of Conditions Can Dry Needling (Medical Acupuncture)Assist?

  • Neck/Back Pain
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Tennis/Golfers Elbow
  • Headaches
  • Hip and Gluteal Pain
  • Knee Pain
  • Achilles Tendonitis/Tendonosis
  • Plantar Fasciitis
  • Sciatica
  • Muscular Strains/Ligament Sprains
  • Chronic Pain
  • Athletic Performance