Benefits of Dry Needling for CrossFit and Weightlifting Injuries
Samson Strength & Performance PT was built with the athlete in mind. In our founding years, we first catered to CrossFit and weightlifting athletes due to Dr. Delilah’s background in participating in and coaching each of these sports. Both sports are fantastic ways to stay fit and strong, but like any other sport, you will see injuries pop up from time to time. One lesser-known yet highly effective technique for managing these injuries is dry needling.
In this blog, you will learn about the benefits of dry needling for CrossFit and weightlifting injuries.
Understanding Dry Needling:
Dry needling (also known as trigger point dry needling) involves the insertion of thin, monofilament needles into specific trigger points in muscles. Unlike acupuncture, which focuses on traditional Chinese medicine meridians, dry needling targets specific muscle knots (myofascial trigger points) to release tension and improve blood flow. First, we look for knots, nodules, and taught bands of muscle. These are pieces of muscles that have gotten stuck in a contraction. The theory is that when the needle is inserted into this contracted part of the muscle, it elicits a twitch response which allows the muscle to relax and lengthen again. This makes dry needling super effective when combined with physical therapy treatment for chronic pain, injury recovery, and optimizing overall muscle function for best performance.
We insert the needle into the muscle and move it up and down, repositioning the needle with each movement to find more trigger points. When there is one active trigger point, there are usually many (like a string of pearls). You typically feel a twitch response which feels like a quick cramp or jump in the muscle. You may also feel a referral pain to a different part of the body – ex. If we are dry needling the back of the shoulder, you may feel a pressure in the front or down the arm. Afterwards, you can expect soreness for 2-48 hours, which feels like DOMS – something most athletes are familiar with 😉
Benefits of Dry Needling for CrossFit and Weightlifting Injuries include:
Dry needling is safe treatment for many different injuries and symptoms. Here's a list of the benefits of dry needling:
1. Pain Relief: One of the primary benefits of dry needling is pain relief. Whether it's a strained muscle from heavy lifting, a nagging shoulder ache from repetitive movements, or a tendinopathy like golfer’s elbow, dry needling can help alleviate discomfort by decreasing the tension in the muscle. Sometimes this is a muscle that is compensating due to the injury and sometimes this is a muscle that is involved in the contraction of the affected tendon. This could include dry needling the quads to reduce pain or clicking in the knees while squatting, or dry needling the forearms to decrease pain in the elbows with pull-ups.
2. Improved Range of Motion: Restricted range of motion can hinder performance and increase the risk of further injuries. Dry needling helps release the tension in tight muscles and improve flexibility, allowing athletes to move more freely and efficiently during workouts. Examples of this would be dry needling the lats for better overhead positions, dry needling the hamstrings for better flexibility, or dry needling the calves for better ankle dorsiflexion.
3. Faster Recovery: Injuries are part of intense training regimens. Dry needling promotes faster recovery by stimulating blood flow to injured areas, which aids in the delivery of nutrients and removal of metabolic waste products. We have found dry needling to boost the preliminary phase of rehabilitation and give our clients a push towards achieving their goals faster. As a practice, we use dry needling when it is indicated and for most of our population seeking faster recovery from injuries.
4. Enhanced Muscle Activation: Proper muscle activation is crucial for lifting technique and overall performance. If you have trigger points present, your muscle is not running on all cylinders. Imagine your muscle has 100 fibers available to help produce strength, but 40 of these fibers are stuck in a contraction and not able to contribute while lifting. You are now only using 60% of your muscle while trying to produce strength, power, and speed. Dry needling can activate these muscle fibers by stimulating motor neurons, leading to better muscle recruitment and coordination.
5. Addressing Trigger Points: Myofascial trigger points are common in athletes and can cause referred pain and movement dysfunction. Dry needling deactivates these trigger points, helping restore muscle balance and reducing the risk of future injuries.
Real-life examples of the benefits of dry needling for CrossFit and Weightlifting Injuries and testimonials from our Google Reviews:
Theresa came to us with chronic shoulder pain. After being told by other practitioners to stop CrossFit, she continued to just live with the pain. She wanted to find a solution that would allow her to continue joining her morning WOD crew, but decrease the pain she felt with a growing number of movements. She reached out to us after being referred by a fellow gym member. Through a thorough evaluation, we found lots of dysfunction in her rotator cuff muscles. We chose to include dry needling as part of her rehabilitation and treatment plan along with modifications of her WODs and targeted strengthening of the involved muscles. After only a few visits, she regained full range of motion in her shoulder and was working back into classes.
This is what Theresa shared in our reviews:
“I originally came to work with Dr. Delilah for a lingering shoulder injury. She came highly recommended by athletes in our gym. I had seen other physical therapists in the past and the general consensus was to stop CrossFit. I didn’t think that would be good for my long term health or my sanity. I appreciate how Dr Delilah takes the time to help me understand how to progress back to normal. We look at the workouts for the week so I know how to modify them to meet my body where it’s at and still make progress. Dry needling has been amazing. I had never done it before but I firmly believe it has really contributed to my recovery.”
Donald is an avid CrossFitter, Olympic Weightlifter, and powerlifter. He came to us with nagging shoulder pain that was affecting his snatches and jerks. After a full evaluation, we discovered his bicep was a main contributor to his pain. We included dry needling of the bicep and surrounding shoulder musculature long with percentage modifications for his lifts and both stability and strengthening exercises for his shoulder which, ultimately, lead to complete resolution of his shoulder pain.
This is the review that Donald shared on Google:
“This is my first time seeing a physical therapist & Delilah has been great! She is very systematic & thorough in assessing & pinpointing the source of my injuries. She has been patient & understanding…tailoring my programming to accommodate progress & setbacks that arise in my CrossFit, Olympic lifting, & powerlifting activities. I really appreciate how concise the programming is. I can do them every day before a workout. She also introduced me to dry needling which has a been a game changer for my recovery. Thank you, Delilah, for helping me perform at my best!!”
In conclusion, dry needling is a valuable tool for managing and preventing injuries in CrossFit and weightlifting. Its ability to provide pain relief, improve range of motion, expedite recovery, enhance muscle activation, and address trigger points makes it a worthwhile addition to any athlete's recovery and performance enhancement toolkit. If you're dealing with persistent aches or looking to optimize your training, consider incorporating dry needling into your wellness regimen.
How to book your dry needling session at Samson:
We offer free calls to determine if we’d be a great fit for you. Once we chat, we can schedule a full initial evaluation and develop a personalized treatment plan. If dry needling is a helpful treatment in your recovery, we will talk about that at your initial appointment.
