Dry Needling

You may have heard of a treatment called dry needling and wondered what exactly it is or if it’s something that may be right for you. While the name of the procedure may sound intimidating, dry needling is safe, minimally discomforting and often an effective technique for patients with certain musculoskeletal presentations. A thin monofilament needle penetrates the skin and treats underlying muscular trigger points for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments. Trigger point Dry Needling is used for the treatment of muscle pain and dysfunction. This approach is based on Western anatomical and neuro-physiologic principles and is not to be confused with Chinese Acupuncture. Dry needling is a treatment performed by skilled, trained physical therapists, certified in the procedure. It involves introducing fine, sterile acupuncture needles into “trigger points” of muscles. A trigger point (a knot in a muscle) is a hyperirritable spot within a muscle. Trigger points are tender on compression and can give rise to distinctive referred pain. Ultrasound, Shockwave therapy, Laser therapy or soft tissue manual therapy like myofascial and trigger point release are good alternatives for clients who have needle-phobia.

How Will I Feel After Dry Needling?

You will know positive change has occurred right after the session, as you should have decreased pain and increased mobility and because you will be sore in the way that you would feel after a heavy workout. The muscle will feel fatigued, and the soreness can last from a few hours to 1 or 2 days, but should not interfere with your everyday activities. We encourage you to be active during this time to keep the soreness to a minimum. You can continue your normal activities and gym routine. After a day or so, you’ll experience a new and lasting feeling of less pain and tightness. The injury and pain you thought was there to stay will actually start to diminish. If you’ve been having long standing, chronic muscle pain our physiotherapists at Body Therapy Wellness Centre have extensive experience and training in Dry needling and would welcome the opportunity to explain this treatment option in more detail and answer any questions you may have.

How Many Needles Will I Need?

That depends on many factors best determined after a thorough assessment and discussion with you. However we like to start slowly during the first session to give you a feel for the technique. The first session will focus on a few muscles that are key to your problems. These key areas can give you excellent relief with less soreness. Subsequent treatments will target more specific areas to fine-tune the effect.

How many treatments will I need?

Treatments are usually once or twice a week but can be spread out to 2-4 weeks, to allow time between treatments for the body to heal itself. The number of treatments you require will vary depending upon several factors such as the duration and extent of your condition, the amount of scar tissue there is and how quickly your body can heal. The rate of healing depends on the condition of your muscles and the amount of irritation caused by trigger points. If the pain is of recent origin, one or two treatments may be all that is necessary. More chronic problems will probably require more treatments. The effects of Dry Needling are cumulative – Trigger point Dry Needling stimulates a certain amount of healing, until eventually, the condition is healed and the pain disappears. Like most therapies, needling works best when used with other techniques.

Dry Needling

Dry Needling

How Will I Feel After Dry Needling?

How Many Needles Will I Need?

How many treatments will I need?

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