What is dry needling? A guide for athletes
You may have heard of trigger point dry needling and wondered exactly what it is and if it can help you.
At Samson Strength & Performance PT, we combine trigger point dry needling and physical therapy for active adults in Jacksonville, Florida.
Most of our treatment plans will include some dry needle therapy for a muscle or several muscles involved in your injury, as we have found the effects to be beneficial for our clientele.
Dry needling is an evidence-based treatment technique used by physical therapists to treat muscle pain and other conditions and is different than techniques used from traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.
Dry needling techniques can vary, but in short: The therapist inserts a monofilament “dry” needle, one without medication or injection, into a trigger point of a specific muscle to elicit a twitch response to decrease pain and improve range of motion. The needle penetrates the skin when the therapist inserts the needle and is a direct and specific manual therapy treatment for muscles. Preliminary research supports that dry needling improves pain control, reduces muscle tension, and can speed up the rehabilitation process. (Mejuto-Vazquez, et al, 2014)
What is dry needling in Jacksonville, FL.
What is a trigger point?
Trigger points are taut bands of muscle that are stuck in a contracted state, and usually are tender to touch or cause pain to other parts of the body (referred pain). Trigger points are caused by muscle overload or overuse when the muscle cannot respond adequately. This can happen under unusual or excessive concentric or eccentric loading or with prolonged static positions (as in upper traps of desk workers). Dry needling these trigger points reduces muscle tension and improves range of motion.
How Does Dry Needling Work?
Dry needling of a specific muscle causes a local twitch response when the needle is inserted, which is an involuntary spinal cord reflex contraction of the muscle. This feels like a quick cramp in the muscle. This response decreases the tension in the muscle and reduces the concentration of nociceptive substances in the area surrounding the trigger point – which decreases pain.
Is needling therapy painful?
Dry needling can be painful for some clients, but it depends on pain tolerance and intensity of the twitch response. It may cause some discomfort where the needle is placed and the sensation of the twitch response can be uncomfortable, but it is scientifically shown to have health benefits. The twitch response feels like a quick cramping of the muscle. The residual muscle soreness from dry needling feels like any other post-workout soreness and should last anywhere from 12-48 hours. We have found that drinking lots of water and remaining active after your dry needling session can reduce the intensity and duration of soreness.
Dry needling side effects
Some clients may experience immediate relief from pain and improved range of motion after just one session, while others may require multiple sessions to see significant results. It is normal to feel some soreness after the treatment, but this should subside within a couple of days. Realistically, the only side effect of dry needling could be soreness but it's important to communicate with your PT during the process so we can minimize the side effects overall.
Dry needling benefits
The benefits of dry needling treatment are both immediate and long-lasting and includes: release of tension, pain relief, improved mobility, improved healing and performance, and faster recovery.
Diagnoses that this treatment can help with:
Shoulder Pain
Golfer’s and Tennis Elbow
Knee Pain
Neck pain
Back Pain
Achilles Tendonitis
Plantar Fasciitis
Hip and Glute Pain
"Muscle knots" and myofascial pain
5 things you should know about the treatment:
1. It can help with reducing pain and improving mobility in conditions such as shoulder pain, Golfer’s elbow and back pain.
Oftentimes we're asked "is dry needling acupuncture?" Our response: No! It is different from acupuncture. While acupuncture is based in Chinese medicine and focuses on energy flow, trigger point dry needling is based in Western medicine and focuses on knots and taut bands and muscle fibers in specific muscle groups.
3. It can help with chronic muscle tightness from prolonged sitting or repetitive movement.
4. It uses a thin monofilament needle without medication or injection.
5. There are no restrictions to activities you can perform after a session of dry needling. You will be sore, but you can work out and go about all normal activities without any issues.
How often should dry needling be done?
There is not a true restriction for needling treatment frequency, but we typically will not see patients more than 1-2x/week.
If you're wondering how long should you rest after dry needling, our answer is to just avoid intense workouts directly after. It can be helpful to schedule a session after you workout or on an off-day if possible.
If you’re looking for dry needling treatment, you can book a free call today to get started. Our office is located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
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