Dry Needling

Our physical therapists are certified in dry needling and utilize this tool as a part of their hands-on manual therapy techniques in physical therapy treatments to improve tissue extensibility and decrease pain.

Pain reduction. Muscle Recruitment. Recovery tactic.

  • WHAT

    Dry needling is a treatment technique where a trained physical therapist inserts a “dry needle”, one that does not have medication or injection, into painful or tight muscles on your body. The goal is for the therapist to identify muscle trigger points, a taut/tender part of your muscle, and to use the needle to help reduce pain and tightness in the affected area.

  • WHY

    Current research indicates that dry needling is helpful in reducing pain and muscle tension, improving range of motion, and improving muscle recruitment. It works as a powerful neuromuscular reset within the targeted tissue. It is rarely a stand alone treatment, and our goal is to use dry needling to return to exercise and physical activity as soon as possible.

  • HOW

    By inserting a needle into a trigger point in a taut muscle, the goal is to improve blood flow, reduce tension in the affected muscle, or recruit the muscle. Very frequently during treatment you will feel a muscle twitch. This is common and helps the therapist know that they are targeting the right area. After, we reinforce the intention for needling by loading the tissue through exercise, encouraging movement, and educating on importance of recovery tactics.

Interested in learning more about dry needling in physical therapy?

Schedule an evaluation to see if dry needling is the right tool for your pain or injury!