What is Dry needling?

Dry needling refers to any form of injection/needle based therapy that does not involve the use of injecting a liquid (hence the needle stays “dry”).

Dry needling seeks to relieve pain caused by musculoskeletal dysfunction through relaxing the muscle trigger points – commonly known as “knots”. These taut muscles bands that develop within the band can occur in both acute and chronic cases. Trigger points can develop in the muscles due to several reasons such as poor posture, uneven gait, repetitive movement and lack of stretching before carrying out a physical activity such as sports.

Dry needling is the process of using a filament needle which is similar to an acupuncture needle and inserted into the painful parts of the muscle/tendon. This would then provide the muscle to undergo a “twitch” or “cramp” response relieving the muscle from pain and allows the muscle to relax. The needle does stay in the muscle for a little while before it is removed and further stretches and strengthening provided to keep the muscle nice and loose and to prevent the pain to return.

What is the difference between acupuncture and Dry needling?

When it comes to dry needling and acupuncture – many people are confused and they assume that they are the same. However, even though dry needling is a derivative of acupuncture, it uses more modern knowledge of the neuromuscular system. Acupuncture works on the flow of energy around the body and vital organ by inserting the needles in the pressure points or meridian points in the body. They might leave the needles in there for sometimes up to an hour or so.

Dry needling increases the blood flow to the area, releasing endorphins and the nerve pathways may be inhibited or to a degree blocked to help ease pain and promote healing.