Dry needling is a manual physical therapy technique that uses acupuncture needles to treat trigger points in muscles. Instead of leaving the needles shallow in the skin as with traditional acupuncture, the needle glides deeper into the muscle tissue in a pistoning motion to mechanically stimulate blood flow to the knotted area. This can reduce central sensitization, reduce local and referred pain, improve range of motion and muscle activation patterns, and improve the chemical environment of the area. The treatment time is quick and just takes a few moments per muscle group. Sometimes electricity is added to the needle to further stimulate the site, but not required for a successful treatment.

You can expect the treated muscle to feel fatigued and sore, similar to the feeling you get after a good workout or massage. Occassionally there will be bruising at the site that resolves in a few days. Bruising does not occur every time. Very minimal bleeding can occure during the treatment. This happens even less often than bruising.

Dry needling is a wonderful addition to chiropractic care. This allows Dr. B to give more attention to the patient’s soft tissues, improving treatment outcomes for many different neuromusculoskeletal pain patterns. Even patients who report fear of needles have done well recieving treatments. Ask to add it to your next appointment visit for just $45.