What is Dry Needling?

How Does Dry Needling Therapy Work?

Dry needling is a technique used to treat myofascial pain syndrome resulting from various injuries and diagnoses. This treatment uses a filiform needle inserted through the skin and into the muscle where pain exists. When this releases the knots, mobility and function increase, which then leads to less pain. The APTA (opens in a new tab) (American Physical Therapy Association) includes a discussion from therapists on the benefits, testimonies from patients, research, and even opposing views on dry needling. Their informative article quotes and reflects the therapists’ perspective that utilizes dry needling because “PTs who do dry-needling love it, swear by it, and are very passionate about it.”

Research

In a study done by the Department of Sports Medicine and the Center of Rehabilitation in Shanghai, China (opens in a new tab), they investigated the potential benefits that dry needling created in patients with lower back pain. Through practice and analysis of this technique, they concluded that dry needling could treat and eliminate lower back pain, especially when combined with other interventions by the trained therapist. While the benefits remain steady, the study does recognize that dry needling still requires more research to draw even clearer conclusions.

The Journal of Research in Medical Sciences (opens in a new tab) contains another study to understand dry needling’s impact on treating lower back pain and similar results to the previous study. What should interest the reader is that all of the patients in this study not only found pain relief, but their relief lasted two months following the intervention.

Acquainting oneself with the research and science behind dry needling and establishing a relationship with a trained therapist could be the difference between chronic pain and pain relief. To find out if this practice may be right for you, contact us at Mid-County Physical Therapy to learn more.