Trigger Point Dry Needling
What is Dry Needling?
Trigger point dry needling involves inserting a thin needle into the muscle to stimulate the trigger point, releasing the tightness and improving blood flow to the area. By targeting these trigger points with needles, we can stimulate a healing response in the muscle.
This includes increased blood flow to the area, release of natural pain-relieving chemicals (endorphins), and relaxation of the tight muscle fibers. As a result, you may experience immediate relief of pain and improved flexibility in your back.
What is dry needling used for?
At Highbar Physical Therapy, we offer dry needling as part of our comprehensive approach to treating back pain. Dry needling is a highly effective technique used to alleviate muscle tightness, reduce pain, and restore function in individuals experiencing back pain.
Dry needling can provide immediate relief of back pain by targeting trigger points directly.
By releasing tight muscles, dry needling can improve your range of motion and flexibility in the back.
With reduced pain and improved mobility, you can perform daily activities and exercises more effectively.
Dry needling is used in conjunction with other therapies, such as exercise and manual therapy, to optimize your treatment outcomes.
Don’t see what you’re looking for?
Many times, our patients ask us how trigger point dry needling is different from acupuncture. Acupuncture is widely known as an eastern medicinal practice that aims to improve Qi, the flow of energy in the body, whereas dry needling is rooted in western medicine and addresses musculoskeletal diagnoses. We recommend trigger point dry needling because it is a more individualized treatment that fits into a patient’s larger physical therapy care. It also improves pain and mobility in fewer sessions than acupuncture.
Yes, in fact, we recommend it. We encourage our patients to exercise and get back to their normal activities after dry needling. Some soreness is common, but exercise is the best way to relieve it.
Although more commonly known as knots in the muscle, trigger points are taut bands of muscle fibers within a larger group of muscles that may cause pain over the area and lead to difficulty performing everyday tasks. Muscles with trigger points fatigue faster, have less power, and take more time to recover from activities. They are common in muscles that are overused or damaged due to an injury. Trigger points are often tender to touch and can cause pain in other areas of the body.
We know exactly what you’re thinking. And no, most people don’t feel the needle being inserted. That’s because the needle is so thin that you likely won’t notice anything. During the treatment, you could feel mild cramping or the same pain or tightness that you’ve been experiencing before.
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