Dry Needling
Dry needling is a technique that physical therapists used to treat myofascial pain. The technique uses a "dry" needle, one without medication or injection, inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle, known as trigger points.
What is a Trigger Point?
A trigger point is a taut band of skeletal muscle located within a larger muscle group. Trigger points can be tender to the touch, and touching a trigger point may cause pain to other parts of the body.
What Kind of Needles Are Used?
Dry needling involves a thin filiform needle that penetrates the skin and stimulates underlying myofascial trigger points and muscular and connective tissues. The needle allows a physical therapist to target tissues that are not manually palpable.
Why Dry Needling?
In cases when dry needling is used by physical therapists, it is typically one technique that is part of a larger treatment plan.
Physical therapists use dry needling with the goal of releasing or inactivating trigger points to relieve pain or improve range of motion. Dry needling can improve pain, reduce muscle tension and normalize dysfunctions of the motor end plates, the sites at which nerve impulses are transmitted to muscles.
What Can Dry Needling Help With?
You may benefit from dry needling if you have been diagnosed with:
- Migraine headaches
- Tension headaches
- Whiplash injury
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Low back pain
- Scapular pain
- Achilles tendonitis
- Heel pain
- Plantar fasciitis
- Tendonitis
- Arthritis
- Neck pain
- TMJ
- ITB syndrome