What Is Dry Needling, and Is It an Effective Treatment for Pain Relief?
Key takeaways:
Dry needling is a safe, nonaddictive treatment for muscle and trigger point pain.
Dry needling might work by creating a “twitch response” that reverses changes within the tissues that create trigger points.
Dry needling is different from acupuncture, and it treats different conditions, even though both treatments utilize needles.
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Dry needling is a type of complementary and alternative treatment. It can help relieve myofascial pain, which is pain that starts in the muscles or fascia, the tissues that separate muscle layers. During the treatment, a healthcare provider (commonly a physical therapist) passes a very small needle in and out of painful areas for about 30 seconds at a time.
Here, we’ll discuss how dry needling works, when it might be useful, and how effective it is.
How does dry needling work?
Dry needling works by causing a twitch response along myofascial trigger points.
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Trigger points are areas of tightness, spasm, and pain within the muscle. Trigger points can develop in areas where you have:
An injury
Nerve damage
Arthritis
Experts believe that when you develop a trigger point, certain chemicals are released that keep muscles from relaxing. This creates areas of spasm as well as local neuropathy.
When a provider inserts a needle into a trigger point, the muscle cramps. But then it slowly starts to relax with each entry and exit of the needle. This is the twitch response, and it may
may reverse both the chemical changes and some of the nerve dysfunction that may be causing the pain at the trigger points.
Dry needling vs. acupuncture: Are they the same thing?
No, they aren’t.
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Dry needling and acupuncture are both types of needle therapy. But the goals and techniques are different:
Dry needling: The goal of dry needling is to cause changes in muscle in the areas where you have pain.
Acupuncture: Acupuncture is based on a theory of energy flow. Acupuncture needles are placed at very particular locations, not always in the area of pain. And the needles stay in place for a longer period of time with acupuncture.
What does dry needling do?
Dry needling can help relieve pain, discomfort, and other symptoms caused by conditions associated with trigger points. Some conditions dry needling can help with include:
Back and neck pain (including sciatica)
Muscle strains
Joint pain (such as knee, hip, or shoulder)
Rotator cuff (shoulder) pain
Foot pain from plantar fasciitis
Physical therapists commonly perform dry needling, but other healthcare providers may also offer it. The procedure is fairly quick. Your provider will insert a needle for about 15 to 30 seconds at each point. The procedure typically totals about 10 to 15 minutes, though it can take longer if you need to treat multiple trigger points.
What are the benefits of dry needling?
Dry needling may help relieve pain and reduce muscle tension so that you can get back to work and other activities you love.
Dry needling may be helpful if other treatments — like stretching, massage, and heat therapy — haven’t been helpful.
What are the potential side effects of dry needling?
About a third of people report side effects following dry needling. The most common are:
Pain at the needle insertion site
Bruising
Bleeding
Cramping at the trigger point site
Pros and cons of dry needling
As with any medical treatment, there are pros and cons to dry needling. The pros are that it may help reduce symptoms and let you get back to your daily routine faster. There’s not a lot of risk associated with the procedure either.
But there are some drawbacks. Dry needling doesn’t cure your underlying problem. So you might need to use dry needling off and on for long periods of time to keep getting relief. This can take time. And it can also be expensive, since dry needling isn’t always covered by insurance.
Does dry needling actually work?
Dry needling can work for some people.
How well dry needling will work for you depends on your overall pain level, your other symptoms, and how many trigger points you have. Your provider’s technique also makes a difference.
A review of multiple studies on dry needling performed by physical therapists showed that it was effective for up to 12 weeks. But there were some differences in dry needling techniques. That said, it’s not clear why it might work for longer in some people. It may be due to the number of trigger points or additional causes of pain.
To maintain the benefits of dry needling, keep your muscles loose with heat, stretching, and yoga. Your provider may recommend certain exercises to help reduce your pain levels. They can also help you figure out whether you may need more dry needling treatments in the future.
The bottom line
Dry needling involves inserting a small needle into trigger points — tight, painful areas within the muscles. It can be an effective tool in treating acute and chronic muscle-related pains, particularly after injuries. It doesn’t take long to feel relief, and results may vary depending on how many areas are treated. Overall, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider to see if you can benefit from dry needling.
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References
Alvarez, D. J., et al. (2002). Trigger points: Diagnosis and management. American Family Physician.
Chen, J. T., et al. (2001). Inhibitory effect of dry needling on the spontaneous electrical activity recorded from myofascial trigger spots of rabbit skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
Dunning, J., et al. (2014). Dry needling: A literature review with implications for clinical practice guidelines. Physical Therapy Reviews.
Physiopedia. (n.d.). Dry needling.
Sánchez-Infante, J., et al. (2021). Is dry needling applied by physical therapists effective for pain in musculoskeletal conditions? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy.
