What is dry needling?

What is Dry Needling?

You may have heard of trigger point dry needling and wondered exactly what it is and if it can help you. At Samson Strength & Performance PT, we provide expert trigger point dry needling for active adults in Jacksonville, Florida. In fact, most of our treatment plans will include some dry needling to a muscle or several muscles involved in your injury, as we have found the effects to be to be so beneficial in our clientele.

Dry needling is an evidence-based treatment technique used by physical therapists to treat muscle pain and other conditions. The therapist inserts a monofilament “dry” needle, one without medication or injection, into a trigger point of a specific muscle to elicit a twitch response to decrease pain and improve range of motion. Preliminary research supports that dry needling improves pain control, reduces muscle tension, and can speed up the rehabilitation process. (Mejuto-Vazquez, et al, 2014)

What is dry needling in Jacksonville, FL.

What is a trigger point?

Trigger points are taut bands of muscle that are stuck in a contracted state, and usually are tender to touch or cause pain to other parts of the body (referred pain). Trigger points are caused by muscle overload or overuse when the muscle cannot respond adequately. This can happen under unusual or excessive concentric or eccentric loading or with prolonged static positions (as in upper traps of desk workers). Dry needling these trigger points reduces muscle tension and improves range of motion.

How Does Dry Needling Work?

Dry needling of a specific muscle causes a local twitch response, which is an involuntary spinal cord reflex contraction of the muscle. This feels like a quick cramp in the muscle. This response decreases the tension in the muscle and reduces the concentration of nociceptive substances in the area surrounding the trigger point – which decreases pain.

Is Dry Needling Painful?

Dry needling can be painful for some clients, but it depends on pain tolerance and intensity of the twitch response. It may cause some discomfort where the needle is placed and the sensation of the twitch response can be uncomfortable, but it is scientifically shown to have health benefits. The twitch response feels like a quick cramping of the muscle. The residual muscle soreness from dry needling feels like any other post-workout soreness and should last anywhere from 12-48 hours. We have found that drinking lots of water and remaining active after your dry needling session can reduce the intensity and duration of soreness.

What Does Dry Needling Help With?

Shoulder Pain

Golfer’s and Tennis Elbow

Knee Pain

Back Pain

Achilles Tendonitis

Plantar Fasciitis

Hip and Glute Pain

5 things you should know about dry needling:

1. Dry needling can help with decreasing pain and improving mobility in conditions such as shoulder pain, Golfer’s elbow and back pain.

2. Dry needling is different from acupuncture. While acupuncture is based in Chinese medicine and focuses on energy flow, trigger point dry needling is based in Western medicine and focuses on knots and taut bands in specific muscle groups.

3. Dry needling can help with chronic muscle tightness from prolonged sitting or repetitive movement.

4. Dry needling uses a thin monofilament needle without medication or injection.

5. There are no restrictions to activities you can perform after a session of dry needling. You will be sore, but you can work out and go about all normal activities without any issues.

Written By: Dr. Delilah Beall, PT, DPT, CMTPT – CrossFit and Weightlifting Rehab Specialist at Samson Strength & Performance Pt in Jacksonville Beach, FL