Dry Needling

Dry Needling

The practice of dry needling involves inserting an acupuncture needle into a trigger point and is typically used to treat the pain associated with injuries. A trigger point is a tender spot in a tight band of muscle which causes pain when pressed or squeezed. With Dry Needling, the needles are used to target the trigger point of the problem muscle, this is known as the myofascial trigger point and is often described as a muscle knot which contributes to muscle pain and dysfunction.

The needle is gently inserted into the skin directly at this point and often a local twitch response is experienced, this is a good sign and is what the physiotherapist is looking for. It means the trigger point has been stimulated, jump starting the muscle and nerve supply and increasing the blood flow to the area which helps to relax the muscle.  When this local twitch response occurs, a brief painful response might be felt but it wont last for more than a second.

After dry needling treatment, the area that was treated will feel much softer and relaxed and the person will feel looser.