What is Dry Needling
Here’s a definition of Dry Needling that can be found in a paper on the subject that was published by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in 2013: Dry needling is a skilled intervention that uses a thin filiform needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscular, and connective tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments. I use this definition as a description on my webpage. That may define the subject but most of my patients have some more questions.
Why do you do it?
When I consider if a patient is a candidate for dry needling, I investigate a few possibilities. Do you have an active trigger point that is a source of pain (think of a “knot” in your low back, neck or upper trap)? Is there an area that may be lacking in local blood flow (think of a nagging tendon)? If the patient seems to be dealing with one of these issues and they don’t have anything that contraindicates this treatment, then we consider it as an option. Inserting a needle into some of these dysfunctional tissues can result in a twitch response that “resets” the trigger point and increases local blood flow.
Does it hurt?
I’ll put it this way, it doesn’t hurt like you might expect it to hurt. Remember the needles that are used in dry needling are much smaller than one you might use to get a flu shot, in fact, the needles I use could fit inside the needle that would be used for a typical injection. Sometimes you don’t feel it at all, other times there is an aching sensation associated with having the needle inserted. Some people describe a painful sensation, and some people think it feels good.
Will it work for me?
My rough, unscientific estimate is that it is about 70% effective in my patient population. It is mostly dependent on selecting the right patient for the treatment.
What should I expect?
The first thing to expect is the sensation associated with the needle. There may be a local twitch response that is usually a good thing. Sometimes I use dry needling in conjunction with electrical stimulation that can elicit a contraction in the muscles. Then, once the treatment is over (it takes a few minutes) some people get immediate relief, some people experience post-treatment soreness that could be followed by significant improvement, and some people don’t notice anything at all.
If you’re curious at all, do a little research or feel free to give us a call at Moshen, we’d be happy to discuss this treatment option with you.
