Balanced PTs are licensed and certified to provide dry-needling treatment to help with neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairment. Learn more about the dry needling and which specific conditions can benefit the most from this treatment.

What is Dry Needling (DN)?

Dry needling is a safe and minimally invasive treatment used to help patients with neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments(Mayo Clinic). Some benefits include decreased muscular pain, easing trigger points, and improved range of motion.

It is administered by certified and trained healthcare professionals such as physical therapists, medical doctors, and some chiropractors. Some other common names for dry needling therapy include trigger point dry needling (TDN) and Functional Dry Needling (FDN).

Difference Between DN and Acupuncture?

While DN stems from traditional Chinese medicine like acupuncture, it is a treatment that has evolved into a modern Western medicine treatment. Inserting needles into the skin is something both dry needling therapy and acupuncture share, but after that, the treatments are undoubtedly different (Denver Physical Medicine and Rehab).

Acupuncture treatments are more of traditional Eastern medicine based on restoring the proper energy flow throughout the body by inserting needles along meridian lines. 

DN therapy has been developing since the 1980s and focuses on relieving chronic and acute pain by inserting needles into trigger points to restore normal function. Many athletes and people with musculoskeletal conditions have turned to DN in the past several years to help alleviate pain, accelerate recovery, improve muscle function, and enhance overall mobility.

Will DN Work For Me?

Patients experiencing chronic pain are typically great candidates for dry needling therapy. Patients can expect to see the most significant benefits when DN is incorporated with exercise, manual therapy, stretching, and education. It is a low-cost, low-risk treatment that can help with conditions such as (Virginia Sports Medicine Institute):

• Acute and Chronic Tendonitis/ Tendinosis
• Athletic Overuse Injuries
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Frozen Shoulder
• Muscle Spasms
• Whiplash from auto accidents
• Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• IT Band Syndrome
• Sciatic pain
• Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
• Neck and lower back pain

While DN can be beneficial to many different types of conditions, it is also essential to know when this treatment is not appropriate. DN is not suitable and potentially harmful (Cleveland Clinic) for the following reasons:

• A patient with a needle phobia
• Pregnancy (first trimester)
• Patient with an allergy to metals
• Patients who have an infection present
• Needling over cosmetic implants
• Patients with a heart valve replacement (endocarditis)
• Patients with epilepsy (or other seizure disorders)

Suppose you are looking for natural pain management treatment options, and dry needling is not an option. In that case, we always recommend scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician, orthopedic surgeon, or physical therapist. They will be able to diagnose your pain and provide you with a list of safe treatments available near you.

How Does Dry Needling Work?

Multiple clinical studies show that dry needling works by restoring muscles to a normal resting state. We know that patients suffering from chronic pain, a traumatic injury, or overused muscles often develop trigger points (also known as knots) that cause pain and discomfort. 

Looking further into why this causes you pain, research shows that the trigger points form due to prolonged or abnormal muscle contraction where your muscle is not receiving enough blood supply. The lack of blood supply (filled with oxygen and nutrients required for healing) to an injured area will cause the surrounding tissue and nerves to become more sensitive.

By stimulating the trigger point with a sterile needle, dry needling therapy can help drive more blood to an injured area, release muscular tension, and help the brain release endorphins that promote healing.

Step By Step Treatment Review

Before administering dry needling therapy to any patient, your physical therapist will examine your past medical history to ensure the treatment is appropriate and safe. Part of the evaluation will also consist of your therapist using palpation skills to identify trigger points causing pain and limited motion.

Once you and your therapist agree that dry needling will benefit your recovery, the therapist will go over each part of the treatment in more detail (Verywell Health). Specific details that help patients understand dry needling can include:

• How long does dry needling take? Typically, a single treatment can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, which is most commonly a part of a total of 30 to 60 physical therapy sessions.
• What to wear for a dry needling appointment: We recommend our patients wear the usual, comfortable physical therapy attire. Clothing that allows easy access for your therapist to administer the treatment is always a good idea. 
• Insurance information and expected costs: Some insurances do cover DN, while others do not. It helps to know upfront what co-pay and out-of-pocket costs to expect.

Once an evaluation is complete, some patients can start dry needling therapy that same day ( others may need to wait until the second appointment; this varies from clinician to clinician.)

Your physical therapist will always begin the dry needling procedure by sterilizing the treatment area and preparing the needles in a private setting. After preparing the treatment area, the therapist will start inserting thin, dry needles (needles that do not contain medications or fluids ) into problem-causing trigger points. 

The dry needles are inserted directly into the skin at varying depths (depending on the DN technique). Oftentimes, patients will feel the physical therapist gently move the needle around to stimulate a local twitch response. A local twitch is good, as it signifies that a muscle is reacting to the treatment.

After 15-30 minutes, your therapist will carefully remove the dry needles. They will inspect the treatment area for bleeding and skin reactions before leaving for home.

What To Expect After Your Appointment

After a dry needling treatment session, patients often report decreased pain and increased range of motion. A patient will require more than one treatment to reach the desired results in more severe cases.

Muscle soreness and light bruising are common side effects of dry needling, for which your therapist may recommend rest, heat, or ice. These symptoms typically resolve themselves over a couple of days to a week.

If you are experiencing more severe side effects (these are considered rare), such as difficulty breathing or significant bleeding, we recommend contacting emergency medical services immediately.

Schedule Your Assessment Today

Balanced Physical Therapy is located in Royal Oak and Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Our patients enjoy working in one-on-one therapy settings with board-certified physical therapists. To schedule an appointment, call us at (586) 741-5806 or visit our Appointments page to schedule an evaluation.