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Dry Needling Physiotherapy

Dry needling also sometimes referred to as ‘Western Acupuncture’ or ‘Medical Acupuncture’ is a technique used by physiotherapists for the treatment of muscle pain and tightness.

With dry needling, a small needle is inserted into the muscle to create what is called a ‘local twitch response’.

This may be felt as a slight cramp or muscle contraction of very short duration (usually 1-2 seconds) and is actually the desired reaction, as it sets off the correct physiological response to treat the pain.

It is important to realise that dry needling is not Acupuncture, which is only performed by qualified Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners.

The main difference is that dry needling is based on Western medicine and scientific principles.

Some of the benefits of dry needling includes

• Decreased pain
• Reduced muscle tightness
• Improved flexibility
• Increased mobility
• Improved functional performance
• Better sporting performance

Some of the conditions that dry needling may help treat includes

• Myofascial pain syndrome
• Trigger points
• Headaches, neck and shoulder pain
• Tight muscles
• Post-surgical pain
• Low back pain
• Hip, knee, and lower leg conditions