Dry Needling Explained

Dry needling is a safe technique for treating many musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions. During a dry needling treatment, one or more thin, monofilament needles are inserted into a muscle trigger point. A trigger point is a local band of tight, irritable, and dysfunctional muscle tissue. This often emerges because of injury, overuse, or poor movement patterns.

Think of this as a “tissue re-set” which can re-establish functional pain free movement. It's often paired with electrical stimulation to enhance the effects of the treatment. This combination causes a gentle contraction and relaxation of the irritable muscle, which creates blood flow and helps the muscle relax further. Dry needling treatments are paired with exercise and other Physical Therapy treatment techniques to yield optimal outcomes. 

Dry needling is used to decrease muscle tightness by facilitating or inhibiting abnormal muscle tone and motor recruitment patterns. It can also help by increasing blood flow and decreasing myofascial pain and trigger points. 

The needles remain in your muscle for a short period - 10 seconds to many minutes - depending on the location, number of needles used, and treatment goals. The treatment is called “dry needling” because the needles used are solid and don’t inject liquid into your body. Changes may be felt immediately or within 24 hours of a treatment with most people benefitting from repeat sessions. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does dry needling hurt? 

Some people feel discomfort or pain during the needling and sometimes they don’t. When inserting a needle in a trigger point, it can be painful and can cause the muscle to twitch. When electrical stimulation is used in conjunction with the dry needling, the muscle will also twitch but is typically not painful.  

If a nerve is poked during the needling, it can cause pain, numbness, or tingling. This can be unpleasant but does not cause any damage to the nerve or surrounding structures. There may be some aching or soreness afterward, depending on the number of trigger points worked on and needles used, but most people report this to be short-lived. 

Are there any negative side effects? 

Although the needles are thin, some bruising may occur on occasion. For some people who have soreness after the treatment, they may experience this for up to 24 hours afterward.

What are the risks or contraindications? 

Dry needling is not recommended for those with a local infection, lymphedema, fear of needles, bleeding disorders, Diabetes Mellitus, vascular disease, a compromised immune system, pacemaker (only using electrical stimulation is contraindicated), or first trimester of pregnancy.