Dry needling is growing in popularity across the county. Now-a-days most of us know someone who boasts about the miracle of dry needling for their shoulder, low back, headache pain, etc. This is especially true in the fitness community-it’s all the rave! But what exactly is dry needling and is it for everyone?

Dry needling is named such because the needle does not contain any medication. People often mistakenly think that because it does not contain medication that it cannot possibly be all that beneficial. One research study found dry needling to be just as effective, and in some cases last longer, than trigger point injections that contain the medication Lidocaine. During the procedure, a very thin needle is inserted into a muscle knot. Muscle knots are a constant source of pain and restrict the motion of a given body part. By eliminating the muscle knot with dry needling, the overall effect is that of significant pain reduction, range of motion improvements, and improvements in muscle activation.

Is dry needling for everyone and who performs this procedure? A certified physical therapist is qualified to perform this procedure. Each person is screened beforehand to determine if they are a candidate for dry needling. Dry needling can be use for all body regions including low back, neck, shoulder, knee, and headache pain just to name a few. It is an uncomfortable procedure followed by some muscle soreness over the next 1-2 days. However, most patients feel temporary discomfort is worth it for longer lasting pain relief. Dry needling can also definitely be used with chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, to slowly reduce a person’s overall pain levels. More chronic conditions typically require more dry needling treatment sessions compared to someone who just hurt themselves.

So if you feel like your progress has plateaued or want to get out of pain faster, then I definitely recommend you give dry needling a try! We have several physical therapists who perform dry needling. Any additional questions or to learn more feel free to email me at laurenarihood@cbayaquapt.com.