WHAT IS DRY NEEDLING?
The American Physical Therapy Association defines dry needling as “a skilled technique performed by a physical therapist using filiform needles to penetrate the skin and/or underlying tissues to affect change in the body structures and functions for the evaluation and management of NRM conditions, pain, movement impairments and disability.” It first appeared in research studies in 1947.
Is it the Same as Acupuncture?
No, the only similarity between acupuncture and dry needling are the type of needles they use. Acupuncture originated in traditional Chinese medicine and is used to treat conditions including anxiety, digestion and musculoskeletal dysfunction. Traditionally, acupuncture needles are only inserted about 1cm into the skin and target acupoints along energy channels or meridians to potentially rebalance a body’s qi.
Dry needling is derived from injection therapies and is based on the western medical diagnosis and treatment model. The needles target muscles, nerves, and connective tissue with the goal of improving neuromuscular function, pain and movement impairments.
How Does it Work?
To keep it simple, a thin needle is inserted into a taut band of muscle. This triggers both a physical (muscle twitch) and neurological (pain remapping) response. The needles are inserted to variable depths based on the target tissue. Electrical stimulation may be used in conjunction with dry needling with the goal of enhancing the efficacy of treatment.
What Would a Dry Needling Session be Helpful for?
Dry needling is most commonly used to address pain, improve muscle function, or improve recovery (i.e. stimulate your muscles to pump blood throughout your body to better clear chemicals that build up after a tough workout, reducing soreness). It can be great for addressing new aches and pains. If you’re experiencing chronic pain, you may want to book a physical therapy evaluation to find the root cause and develop a full treatment plan with your therapist.
So I Should Take it Easy After a Session, Right?
Most often, the answer is NO! Dry needling can in fact create a window of opportunity in which we can practice better movement patterns and load the target tissues. For example, if you have shoulder pain with an overhead press, we might use dry needling to address soft tissue restrictions, preventing good shoulder mechanics, and then follow up on the treatment with overhead press variations!
How Do I Book a Session? Do I Need a Referral?
You can book a dry needling session on our site and on MindBody – dry needling is included in the Sports Recovery sessions (and may be combined with other forms of hands on treatment such as soft tissue mobilization and cupping). You do not need a physical therapy referral for a Sports Recovery session. However, keep in mind that dry needling and other modalities are often best used in conjunction with regular exercise and/or a comprehensive physical therapy treatment plan.