Dry Needling

What is trigger point dry needling?!

Most commonly, trigger point dry needling is the use of a thin needle to release pain generating myofacial trigger points. These trigger points produce pain locally and also can refer pain to other areas of the body. The needle is penetrated into these affected areas to release tightness in skeletal muscle and the connective tissue surrounding the muscle.

However, I use dry needling with multiple different techniques and variables and is case dependent. It can be used to release a muscle that is tonic in nature and needs to be released or relaxed. Or, it can also be used to stimulate a muscle group that is not activating enough. Finally, I sometimes connect electricity to further stimulate the muscle while the needle is in the tissue. 

How deep do the needles go?

Depending on the tissue or muscle we are targeting, will determine the length and depth of needle used. This could be 1 inch into a very superficial tendon in your elbow, or it could be your piriformis muscle 6 inches into your butt. 

Does it hurt?!

Dry needling produces a deep achy sensation when it is deep into the tissue that resolves in 12-24 hours. However, the relief from the pain generating trigger points or tight tissue is immediate! 

If you are experiencing any soft tissue or joint pain or looking to improve muscle performance, come see me and maybe dry needling will be appropriate for you.