All of our practitioners at Enso Osteopathy are trained in the skill of dry needling. If it is something you are interested in doing, your osteopath might use dry needling as part of your treatment plan. If you haven't had dry needling before, here are a few common questions we get asked.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a technique used by osteopaths and other healthcare professionals to treat myofascial trigger points, which are tight, painful knots in the muscles. The procedure involves inserting a thin, sterile needle into the trigger point to release tension and promote healing.
Dry needling is based on the principles of Western medicine and is supported by scientific research. It is called "dry" needling because no medication or injection is involved; the needle itself is the treatment.
The goal of dry needling is to reduce pain, improve range of motion, and restore proper muscle function. When a needle is inserted into a trigger point, it causes a local twitch response, which is a brief contraction of the muscle fibers. This twitch response helps to break up the knot and release the tension in the muscle.
What's the Difference - Dry Needling vs Acupuncture?
Dry needling is not the same as acupuncture. While both practices use similar needles, they have different philosophies and techniques.
Osteopaths and other health professionals who use dry needling focus on targeted placement of the needles to release trigger points in the muscles. The goal is to treat specific areas of pain and dysfunction in the body.
Alternatively, acupuncture aims to restore balance back to the body as a whole. By inserting needles into different areas of the body to various depths, Chinese medicine practitioners focus on balancing the "qi" or the "yin" and "yang" of the body systems. Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine and involves the insertion of needles along specific meridians or energy pathways in the body.
The Enso Clinic offers both dry needling and acupuncture in the form of Traditional Chinese Medicine. You can book acupuncture+ with Dr Jess Bowkett at this link.
What does dry needling do?
Dry needling is a versatile treatment that can provide a range of benefits for musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. Here are some of the main things that dry needling does:
- Releases trigger points: The primary purpose of dry needling is to release myofascial trigger points. These are taut bands or knots in the muscle that can cause pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion. By inserting a needle directly into the trigger point, the muscle fibers are stimulated to relax and release.
- Improves blood flow: When a needle is inserted into a muscle, it creates a small lesion that stimulates the body's healing response. This brings fresh blood flow to the area, delivering oxygen and nutrients to help the muscle tissue heal and regenerate. Improved circulation also helps flush out waste products and toxins that can accumulate in tight muscles.
- Modulates pain: Dry needling can help reduce pain by modulating the way pain signals are processed in the nervous system. The needle stimulation is thought to activate opioid systems and pain-reducing neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord. This can provide both short-term pain relief and longer-lasting changes in pain perception.
- Restores movement patterns: Trigger points and muscle tension can alter normal movement patterns and biomechanics. By releasing these restrictions, dry needling can help restore proper muscle activation, coordination, and joint mobility. This can lead to improved posture, balance, and overall physical function.
- Accelerates recovery: Dry needling is often used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan to speed up recovery from injury or overuse. By reducing pain, inflammation, and muscle guarding, dry needling can allow for earlier and more effective rehabilitation. Patients may be able to return to their normal activities and sports more quickly with the help of dry needling.
How Does Dry Needling Work?
Dry needling involves the use of a sterile, single-use acupuncture needle that is inserted into a specific, often tight section of the muscle. The needle works by releasing and deactivating the myofascial trigger points (knots) that can create problems.
When you insert the needle into the knot, blood pools around the needle, which allows the tight, contracted muscle fibers to relax. The fresh blood rushes into the muscle, bringing oxygen and nutrients to the site while flushing away any acidic chemicals and waste products.
Trigger points are also thought to have a neural component to them as well, with needling a key way to reduce local pain, increase motor control, and therefore improve overall function. The needle stimulates the nervous system, causing the release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters that help to reduce pain and promote healing.
Does Dry Needling Hurt?
The length of the needle used will depend on the area being treated, but the thickness of the needle is always only a quarter of a millimeter thick (0.0025cm). Some people feel a little sting as the needle pokes the skin, but this is gone within a second or two. Most of the time, you barely feel them go in, and they are almost completely painless while they are in your muscles.
Some people may experience a dull ache or twitch when the needle hits a trigger point, but this is usually brief and not painful. After the treatment, you may feel some soreness in the treated area for a day or two, similar to the feeling after a good workout.
What are the Benefits of Dry Needling?
- Release of tightness in the muscles
- Increased flexibility of the muscle
- Improved joint range of motion
- Reduced stiffness in the muscle by removing waste products left in the muscle
- Speeds up recovery
- Decreased pain with the release of neurotransmitters into the muscle, which can help block pain information being sent from the brain
Injuries That Can Benefit from Dry Needling the Most
- Muscle strains - hamstring, calf, quad
- Ligament strains
- Shoulder tension and injuries such as rotator cuff tendinopathy
- Lower back pain
- Tennis elbow
- Sciatica
- Plantar Fasciitis
If you have been trying other forms of treatment and they haven't been working, maybe it's time to try dry needling. It might be the targeted deep release your muscles need.
If you don't like needles, no worries! We don't have to do this as part of your treatment. We will always ask first before using needles in practice, and there are plenty of alternatives to needling if needles make you squirm.