How Does Dry Needling Work?
Dry needling is a therapy technique used to help treat muscle pain associated with a wide variety of conditions. The dry needling process includes inserting a type of thin needle into areas where your muscles are too constricted. These areas are referred to as “trigger points”.
By inserting the needles it releases acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that tells your muscles to contract, from your trigger points. This subsequently improves pain, range of motion limitations, and function.
Similar to acupuncture, the needles used are the same, though the reason for doing the treatment and the technique is different. With trigger point dry needling we insert the needle directly onto the muscles where you are feeling the greatest pain or discomfort. The doctor then moves the needle from deeper to shallower tissues, without removing it, in a technique called pistoning. This can often generates an involuntary twitch of the muscle as the acetylcholine messenger releases, which is what allows the treatment to work as the muscle can then relax to its normal tone.
Dry needling is a safe technique for treating many musculoskeletal conditions. Including but not limited to:
Shoulder Pain, Rotator Cuff Pain, Biceps Tendinitis, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Achilles Tendinitis, Low Back Pain, Tennis Elbow, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Whiplash, Neck Pain, Headaches, Migraines, Muscle Strains, Myofascial Pain, Hip Pain, Plantar Fascitis, Restless Leg Syndrome, and TMJ pain.