What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a skilled intervention in which a thin monofilament acupuncture needle is used to penetrate the skin to target underlying muscles and connective tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and impairments to allow improved activity and participation.
The physiological basis for dry needling depends upon the target tissue and the treatment goals. Dry needling first gained leverage in western medicine for the treatment of myofascial trigger points. A trigger point is a hyper-irritable taut band of contracted muscle fiber that can produce both localized and referred pain either spontaneously or when stimulated. Studies using MRI and sonography elastography have uncovered that these taut bands feature a reduction of circulation. This localized ischemia and reduction of oxygen significantly changes the pH of the surrounding tissue causing pain and altered muscle activation. During dry needling, with the insertion of a needle there is a sudden rush of blood into this tissue resulting in a shift back in pH and relaxation of the taut band.
Dry needling can also be useful in treating myofascial pain associated with scar tissue and muscle tension. With placement of a needle in the muscle, the needle can be rotated to twist up the surrounding collagen like noodles twisting around a fork in a bowl of spaghetti. This creates tension within the tissue, signaling to specialized contractile cells, known as fibroblasts, to synthesize, organize, and remodel collagen. The localized release of pro-inflammatory mediators helps to restart the formerly “stuck” healing process and promote new cell proliferation. Evidence also shows this process sends signals to our brains to release our bodies’ own endogenous pain-relieving chemicals for pain management.
Dry needling can, and should, be used in conjunction with other treatments such as therapeutic exercise, functional retraining, and soft-tissue mobilization, and can allow for a more efficient progression of corrective exercises to improve activity and participation restrictions. I completed my Certification of Dry Needling training through American Academy of Manipulative Therapy.
Is Dry Needling Like Acupuncture?
This is a common question asked by many patients. In short, the answerr is no, but ultimately it is more complex than that. Since acupuncture is defined as the insertion of needles through the skin, dry needling certainly falls under this umbrella. However, customary with eastern Chinese medicine, acupuncture aims to restore the flow of energy, known as “qi,” through varying channels or meridians of the body. In contrast, dry needling is a modern, science-based intervention used only to treat pain and dysfunction in musculoskeletal conditions throughout the body.