Dry Needling

Dry needling is a therapy form where fine needles are inserted into myofascial trigger points, in order to help induce a healing response to painful musculoskeletal conditions. It’s not acupuncture since it doesn’t have the purpose of changing the flow of energy. The trigger points are connected to the pain you can feel in your neck and back and calming these trigger points helps relieve stiffness and pain. The insertion of the needles at the trigger point produces a short spasm that causes the knotting to abate. Dry needling is a modern science-based invention for the treatment of neck pain and other dysfunction and musculoskeletal conditions, such as tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and headaches. After treatment, you will have less pain and better range of motion and can do activities you weren’t previously able to do.
                         
Sometimes, the process is done using small hypodermic needles. It’s called dry needling because nothing is injected into the trigger point and it’s just the act of using the needles. Patients will find that acupuncture needles are used more often than hypodermic needles.
                         
Dry needling is often used in conjunction with other neck pain treatments, such as massage and physical therapy. Dry needling can help work out the knots that massage can’t work out and can help reduce pain experienced from exercise. Due to this, dry needling is usually practiced by physical therapists in conjunction with the physical therapy for neck pain treatment. Those who have experienced pain for a long time may need more sessions than those who just have minor neck pain.
                         
After the procedure, it’s best to drink more water to avoid any soreness. Avoid any strenuous activities to the muscles that have been dry needled and avoid doing more than you would normally do in order to monitor your pain and make sure it’s getting better.