What is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is a technique physical therapists, licensed acupuncturists and other trained health care providers use to treat pain and movement issues related to musculoskeletal conditions. During the treatment, your provider inserts a thin needle into muscle trigger points — knots that form in the muscles when they’re under excessive stress or tension. Unlike traditional acupuncture, in which the therapist uses a series of small needles to treat various areas of your body’s surface, dry needling involves one or more long, thin monofilament needles that are administered directly into your muscle tissue.

Your provider will sterilize the area and then insert the needle, which is attached to a plastic guide tube, into the skin. They’ll move the needle around a bit to try to locate the trigger point and then gently insert it into the muscle, or muscle “knot.” Your provider might move the needle back and forth to encourage what’s called a local twitch response — a quick spasm of the muscle. This is a good sign that the muscle is responding to the treatment.

Your provider may also pair the dry needling treatment with electrical stimulation, which causes gentle contractions and helps the muscle relax. The treatment is safe, and it has a low risk of complications if done by a trained professional.dry needling north canton