What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is an increasingly popular drug-free treatment because it addresses the underlying cause of pain without the use of prescription drugs. Practitioners use thin monofilament needles to pierce the skin and treat underlying muscle trigger points, muscle tension, injuries, and pain. This procedure has been shown to reduce and improve neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments in many patients.
Dry needling dates back to a study conducted in the 1970s that tested injecting drugs into trigger points to treat pain. Doctors were shocked to see a significant improvement in a control group that received no medication (dry needling only). After a series of additional tests, dry needling was developed to use acupuncture needles to stimulate the tissue in and around trigger points and is now rapidly gaining popularity due to its effectiveness in relieving pain and healing injuries.
When muscles are overused or strained, they create trigger points. Trigger points are under so much pressure that it disrupts function, limits mobility or range of motion, and causes severe pain and tenderness. In addition to the pain caused by tension, trigger points disrupt the blood supply to the muscles. This means the muscles are not getting the nutrients and oxygen they need to return to their normal state.
We can stimulate trigger points by inserting small monofilament needles into them and leaving them there for 10-15 minutes. This stimulation causes a lot of blood to return to the area and relieves tension. While the needles don’t hurt, the sensation of sticking them into the skin is enough to release endorphins, which ease the pain.
Our patients often compare the effectiveness of dry needling to multiple deep tissue massages, but only for a fraction of the time. During dry needling, patients may feel muscle twitches or pressure as it releases tension, but they do not experience needle pain. Some patients don’t even feel the needle go into the skin during the treatment, only mild pain, twitching or pressure.
Patients can achieve amazing results from brief sessions of trigger point dry needling. We determine how long the needle needs to stay in the muscle based on the type of pain the patient is experiencing. For pain that is not deep in the muscle, the needle may only stay in place for a few seconds. For more intense, deeper muscle pain, we usually leave the needle in for 10-15 minutes.
In some cases, patients experienced immediate relief during and after dry needling, while others experienced relief within 24 hours of dry needling. It may take several sessions to experience sustained pain relief and return the muscles to their normal resting state, but these sessions are short and painless.
While dry needling sounds like acupuncture, the two practices are actually quite different. Acupuncture focuses on placing dry needles on energy or meridian lines, while dry needling has a musculoskeletal approach that focuses on placing needles in tight or painful muscles to relieve pain and tension. This approach is very different from acupuncture, a holistic Asian healing system that focuses on meridians, energy, and chi.
We use dry needling for a variety of conditions and our patients love it for the quick pain relief it provides. Some of these disorders include:
- Disc problems such as herniated discs or pinched nerves
- Tendonitis
- migraines and tension headaches
- TMJ and other temporomandibular joint disorders
- to whip
- repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow
- spinal problems
- knee pain
- shoulder pain
- osteoarthritis pain
- hip pain
- Sports Injury
- Fibromyalgia
- plantar fasciitis
Dry needling is a very powerful tool and we often use it in conjunction with other treatments such as ultrasound and adjustments. By combining these different treatments, we can help our patients feel better faster.
Are you ready to finally get some pain relief and see if dry needling is right for you? Click here or call (410) 296-7700 to schedule your consultation so we can create the right treatment plan for you and help you feel better faster.
