Dry Needling is a general term for a treatment procedure that involves inserting a disposable, sterile, monofilament needle into a muscle that is producing pain and typically contains a trigger point (knot). There is no injectable solution and  the needle that is used is very thin. It is called “Dry” Needling because there is no solution injected as with a hypodermic needle that is used for things like blood tests. With Dry Needling, the needle itself and the effects it produces within the tissue, is the treatment.

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Most clients will not even feel the needle penetrate the skin, but once it advances into the muscle, the discomfort can vary from patient to patient. Usually a healthy muscle feels very little, if any, discomfort upon insertion of the needle; however, if the muscle is sensitive and shortened or contains active trigger points, the client may feel a sensation like a quick contract then release, often referred to as a 'twitch response".

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When an injury occurs from repetitive use or acute trauma, inflammation will be produced from the damaged tissues. The damaged tissues will also go into a protective tension state or contracture to guard against further damage from utilizing the injured tissue. This contracture and inflammation inhibit microcirculation, which limits both the oxygen rich blood reaching the injury and the waste products leaving the injury. The injury site becomes hypoxic (decreased in oxygen) which stimulates the body to produce fibroblasts, which is a cell that produces fibrosis or more commonly known, scar tissue. The scarring builds up around the muscles and tissues, limiting the tissues ability to fully function (lengthen/shorten) and can also cause compression and irritation of nerves (such as carpal tunnel syndrome) – all of which inevitably lead to biomechanical disturbances in gait and function i.e. limited range of movement.

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When a needle is inserted into muscle it will also produce a controlled lesion and will cut between three to fifteen thousand individual muscle fibers. The body considers the needle as a foreign invader and will activate the immune system as a response. The cut muscle fibers also produce an inflammatory reaction that your body will respond to not just locally but all over the body to reduce inflammation systemically.

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Dry needling is an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain, rehabilitation from injury, and even pain and injury prevention, with very few side effects.