Dry Needling
Exploring Dry Needling: An Overview
What is it?
Dry needling is a research-backed tool involving filiform needles directed by your Myopain-trained Doctor of Physical Therapy toward trigger points in symptomatic muscles. Common outcomes include decreased pain, increased mobility, and improved muscle function.
Per the Georgia physical therapy practice act, dry needling is a skilled technique performed by a physical therapist using filiform needles to penetrate the skin and underlying tissues to affect change in body structures and functions for the evaluation and management of musculoskeletal conditions, pain, movement impairments, and disability for preventative and therapeutic purposes.
Although the same needles are used, dry needling is different from acupuncture.
Dry needling is based on the anatomy and neurophysiology of muscles and targets myofascial trigger points associated with pain, decreased mobility, or decreased function. Research has shown benefits including decreased pain, reduced myofascial trigger point sensitivity including referred pain, increased muscle flexibility, improved muscle function, and increased blood flow to targeted tissue.
