Denver Physical Therapy: Dry Needling for Chronic Pain and Muscle Tightness

Even if you haven’t personally had dry needling, you may have heard the term thrown around when people talk about getting treatment for pain and injuries. But what is dry needling? What does it do and how can it be helpful?

What is dry needling?

Dry needling is a treatment technique that involves the gentle insertion of fine needles in a tight muscle or painful musculotendinous tissue. Commonly, these tight or knotted areas of the muscle are called a myofascial trigger point. The aim of dry needling is to reduce pain and discomfort associated with these trigger points or other painful tissues by promoting (1) a neuromuscular release/relaxation of the tissue, (2) a tissue healing response, and (3) a decrease in pain.

The technique uses acupuncture needles that are single use, sterile, and very fine. Although acupuncture needles are used, it’s important to note that dry needling and acupuncture are not the same. 

How does dry needling work?

There are a few theories on the mechanisms of the effects of dry needling. These are:

1. Neuromuscular release/relaxation/reset

• In damaged or tight muscle, there can be a buildup of neurotransmitter in the neuromuscular junction where the nerve signals the muscle to contract. This causes the muscle to not relax fully. Dry needling causes a local twitch or contraction of the muscle, and a reabsorption of the neurotransmitter, causing the neuromuscular junction to reset and muscle to relax.

2. Promoting tissue remodeling and repair

• In chronic injuries, the repair phase of healing is not functioning properly. Dry needling induces a micro-inflammatory response to increase blood flow and bring new healing factors in the blood to the needling area, kickstarting the healing process, and allowing the repair phase of healing to function properly.

3. Decrease in pain

• Dry needling can place tension on structures in tissue called fibroblasts. This tension releases a substance called anandamide, which releases a natural opioid in the body. This natural opioid release decreases pain caused from the injured area. 

What can dry needling help with?

Dry needling can help with a variety of injuries and issues, such as:

• Headaches and migraines

• Shoulder impingement and bursitis

• Rotator cuff strains

• Lower back pain

• Neck pain

• Patellar, gluteal, biceps, and Achilles tendinitis

• Tennis and golfer’s elbow

• Hip pain

• Neck and shoulder tightness

• Shoulder blade pain

• Nerve impingement

• TMJ/Jaw pain

• Muscle strains

• Shin splints

• Plantar fasciitis

• General muscle tightness

• Knee and hip osteoarthritis

• Sciatica

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

• AND MANY MORE!

Is dry needling safe?

Dry needling is considered a very safe treatment technique for most people. However, it is important to be aware of reasons that dry needling may not be effective or recommended for you.

• If you are particularly afraid or phobic of needles, this technique should not be recommended.

• If you are on blood thinners or anticoagulants, dry needling is generally not recommended.

• Dry needling should not be performed if you have an acute infection.

• Extra precautions or clearances may be required for those with diabetes, who are pregnant, have epilepsy, vascular disease, or immunodeficiencies

It is important to ensure that the person performing your dry needling treatment is qualified and well versed in the safety requirements of this treatment type.

Important to note:

While dry needling or other forms of manual therapy can be an effective stand-alone treatment for a variety of conditions, we nearly always recommend that this be combined with a tailored rehabilitation or strengthening program, to ensure that the changes we make with this treatment can be long lasting and get you feeling great in the long term!

If you feel that dry needling could be helpful for you, please reach out to schedule an appointment with our clinical staff!