What is it? 

Dry needling is an effective technique used to help relieve muscle tension in the body. It works by inserting a thin sterile needle into a tight muscle, this causes a minor and purposeful injury to the tissue, triggering a healing response. This allows the muscle to heal faster and improve its function. 

It also provokes a twitch response in the tissue, which is the muscle contracting and then relaxing. So it also allows the muscle to relax and helps bring the tightness or ‘knot’ you may have been experiencing to ease.

How does it work? 

When your muscle is overused, it goes into an energy crisis where the muscle fibers aren’t getting enough blood supply. When they don’t get the normal blood supply, they don’t get the oxygen and nutrients that allow your muscle to go back to its normal resting state, causing a trigger point, something commonly referred to as a ‘knot’. 

A trigger point is a taut band of skeletal muscle within a larger muscle group. Trigger points can be tender to the touch. Touching a trigger point may refer pain to other parts of the body, make movement more painful and cause stiffness. 

Stimulating a trigger point with a needle helps draw normal blood supply back to flush out the area and release tension. The prick sensation can also trigger nerves that stimulate your brain to release endorphins, your body’s natural pain medication.

Once your chiropractor locates a trigger point, they’ll insert a needle through your skin directly into it. They might move the needle around to try to get what’s called a local twitch response; a quick spasm of your muscle. This reaction can be a good sign that your muscle is reacting and increasing blood flow to the area. 

Does it hurt? 

Dry needling is a sterile technique utilising single use needles, gloves and alcohol wipes to limit the risk of infection. The whole treatment usually only lasts a few minutes and involves the placing the needle into the skin which is targeted to stimulate twitch responses. 

Generally, you won’t feel the insertion of the needle. What you will feel is a dull ache and a twitch in the muscle. You may experience a dull ache post therapy which is completely normal and will settle down over the next couple of days. To help soften the achy effect you may use a hot compress post treatment to further help relax the surrounding tissue and muscles.

Can it help me? 

Inserting a sharp, thin needle into your body’s trigger points relaxes the muscles, improves range of motion, boosts blood flow, diminishes inflammation, and triggers a healing response. 

This healing treatment also improves nerve communication and triggers signals in your body to release natural pain relievers like endorphins which act as analgesics. 

Dry needling can be used in conjunction with chiropractic treatment to help relieve pain, aid rehabilitation or manage chronic conditions that involve the musculoskeletal system.

If you’d like to know more ask your chiropractor next time you are in to see us and we’d be happy to walk you through it!