NE Minneapolis

2112 Broadway Street NE,
Suite 195, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Coon Rapids

8770 Springbrook Dr. NW,
Suite 106, Coon Rapids, MN 55433
a

Everything You Need To Know About Dry Needling

by | Mar 24, 2022 | News

Everything you need to know about dry needling

Although dry needling has become more common due to its consistent effectiveness in treating injuries, there are still many individuals with questions about dry needling.

You may have heard the term thrown around or maybe this is your first-time hearing about it.

Either way, let’s explore common questions that we at PRO Therapy get about dry needling. 

What is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is an increasingly popular treatment that continues to show great outcomes with patients suffering from a wide variety of symptoms. Dry needling is performed by utilizing a small, thin needle to penetrate the skin to improve the environment of the designated area for healing.

The designated area is determined by a trained Physical Therapist, who, through their extensive assessment, determine the placement of the needle.

The common area targeted is usually muscles but more and more research are showing the effectiveness for not only muscles but joints, tendons, ligaments, and even scars.

How Does Dry Needling Work?

When inserted into the designated tissue, the needle stimulates a change in the environment. The effects boil down to three main improvements: increasing opioids to that area, improving inflammation, and causing vasodilation.

The increase in our own body’s opioids provides a natural pain relief without the side effects you get with medication.

With improving inflammation, the needle resets our bodies inflammation response to encourage better and faster healing. Finally, vasodilation, is a term for the opening of our blood vessels to assist in blood flow to the designated tissue.

This provides healing nutrients to the tissue and relaxation to the surrounding muscles.

More Blogs From PRO Therapy
Blood Flow Restriction Training: When Traditional Exercise Isn’t Working
Travel Pain: Headaches, Neck and Back Pain…Oh My!
Arthritis: What Is It?

Is Dry Needling the Same as Acupuncture?

Though dry needling and acupuncture use the same needles, they are not the same. Acupuncturists take a different approach with needle placement and treatment. They focus more on “chi” which is the energy flow that connects certain acupuncture points on the body to heal or correct the body.

Conversely, Physical Therapists use their physical examination and assessment to find the cause of your symptoms to guide them in their placement of needles. 

What to Expect if Dry Needling is used in your PT Session?

Your Physical Therapist will work with you to find the source of your symptoms first. Then if needling is right for you and your symptoms, the Therapist will begin with 1 or 2 needles. From there, continued assessment of your symptoms will be considered which can result in more needles the following sessions.

Some sessions may include electrical stimulation to enhance the effects of the needles.

Your therapist can also use the needles in different ways. One of those may be taking the needle and leaving it sit in the designated tissue for 5 or more minutes.

Other ways include moving the needle around the tissue or twisting the needle to increase the affected treatment area. Research shows that dry needling is most effective when combined with other treatment such as manual therapies and exercises.

Therefore, expect your therapist to incorporate that in your sessions with dry needling as well.

Does Dry Needling Hurt?

A very common question patients ask is if dry needling hurts. Though you may feel some discomfort, our patients that have received dry needling say they wouldn’t call the sensation painful.

The words described by our patients for the sensation are achy, workout pain, crampy, etc.

The discomforts felt are usually met with symptom relief afterwards and therefore, patients don’t mind the minor ache as the results are significantly better.

For What Conditions And Where Can I Expect To Be Needled?

This all will, again, be assessed by your Physical Therapist who is highly trained in not only needling but all things related to how the human body moves.

In short, any muscle, ligament, tendon, joint or scar tissue can be needled. Some of the most common conditions that benefit the most from dry needling are: headaches, TMJ (jaw issues), neck pain, shoulder impingement, tennis or golf elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain, sciatica, hip impingement, knee arthritis, plantar fasciitis, and many others.

Your therapist will work with you to decide if needling is right for you and your symptoms. 

Conclusion

With research continuing to show the significant effectiveness of dry needling when incorporated into rehabilitation, there should be no surprise that this article won’t be the last time you will hear about dry needling.

If you have further questions or concerns about dry needling, check out our other two blog posts on dry needling or give us a call at 612-767-9917 to chat with one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy, completely complimentary!

We also offer complimentary discovery visits where you can meet with a DPT in person and ask any question while one of our therapists assesses your symptoms and walks you through the process of dry needling in person. 

Dr. Kevin Spahr

Related Posts

Follow Us

Download Your Free Reports

Tell us where it hurts and we’ll send you our best advice and top tips in one special report…

It’s free! just click below and find the one that works best for you…

back pain and stiffness guide

Back Pain

knee pain and stiffness guide

Knee Pain

neck and shoulder pain guide

Neck Pain

Ankle and Foot Pain Guide

Ankle/Foot Pain

Hip Pain and Stiffness Guide

Hip Pain

See What Our Patients Are Saying

Read our reviews from other people like you who came to see the physical therapy team – and left much healthier and happier.
Excellent
PRO Therapy
Based on 45 reviews
Misty L.
Kevin at ProTherapy is excellent! He is able to listen to feedback and discern next steps for meeting clients where they are at on their healing journey. He really cares about his client's wellness. His guidance as been spot on and appreciated! I will recommend ProTherapy to family and friends.
angela martinez D.
I was referred to PRO Therapy by my chiropractor. I was in desperate need of a good PT after very minimal mediocre treatment at another well known clinic. My first visit I knew my experience would be different with PRO Therapy. There was adequate time to share the history following my knee injury and I felt like I was taken seriously. Dr. Spahr formulated a plan that I was comfortable with and we were off. He made it clear that he wanted to see if we could truly heal the knee without another cortisone injection. I love that I felt included in my treatment plan and am always asked if I have questions about what we’re doing. Dr. Spahr is very good at what he does, he’s super knowledgeable for sure! He has a very good and natural ability to meet you where you’re at and moving at a pace that works for your body. My knee issues are resolving at a remarkable pace without another cortisone injection! When I started with PRO Therapy, I thought at the end of it all I would likely need another injection but that’s not the case at all. I would absolutely recommend you give PRO Therapy a try if you’re considering. I’ve referred my husband and can’t wait to see what kind of results he will have. Thanks Dr. Spahr!
Linda S.
I had the pleasure of working with Dr Kalvin,I had tendinitis in my knee and hamstring, after 6wks of P.T my pain level went from a 10 down to a 1. He was absolutely amazing, very informative and patient with me. Thank you so much for taking care of me 💖
Knel L.
Went in for help with my knee as it usually gets tight when I run. We went through a few sessions and honed in on what the problem potentially is. Dr. Kelvyn pointed a few things out that I wouldn't have figured out myself. Since the problem is probably form and/or muscle related it won't be an overnight fix. I get a set of exercises to do each visit that address my areas of weakness. It was good working with Dr. Kelvyn and definitely recommend checking out PRO Therapy
Debbie E.
I had 5 sessions of physical ther6with Dr Kelvin. This was my first experience. I felt listened to & he made every effort helpful my symptoms. I enjoyed the dry needeling experience. I have had some pain rein these 5 sessions and look forward to more progress with the exercises he gave me to do this winter while snowbirds. Clean clinic and friendly staff. Much appreciated. Thank you,
Debra Erickson
Naser A.
Susan I.
I strongly recommend Pro Therapy for anyone seeking physical therapy treatment. I have worked with several of the therapists at Pro Therapy and have been very pleased with all of them and the treatments they prescribed. I had PT for my shoulder, pre and post hip replacement surgery, and most recently I have been working with Dr. Spahr for back pain. He has combined exercise with other treatments such as dry needling and types of massage. My pain lessened and became manageable very quickly. With continued treatments almost all my back pain was gone and I was able to return to physical chores such as gardening.
My goal after hip surgery was to be able to walk 8 miles on uneven surfaces. Pro therapy helped me to achieve that. Besides being very successful therapists, they are very friendly, good listeners, and are easy to work with. I am very happy with all the treatments I have received there, will definitely go back to them if need be, and without a doubt recommend them to anyone in need of physical therapy.
Dylan P.
Kevin helped me alleviate muscular compensation patterns I had developed from an old injury. For years I had endured pain as a byproduct from those compensations and had visited numerous physical therapists/chiropractors to no avail. Kevin was the first PT that I felt was actually listening to what I thought was going on with my body and together we built a working theory on identifying the issues and fixing them. He suggested I pair my physical therapy with chiropractic through north suburban healthcare (same building) and two months later I feel like I can see the light again. My physical therapy exercises are not exacerbating my symptoms like they used to from other PTs, and I finally feel like I am rebuilding a solid foundation to eventually enjoy the active lifestyle I have been missing out on for years. In short, if you feel like you are at the end of your rope, give Pro therapy a shot. I’m glad I did.
Barbara J.
It’s been a step-by-step positive experience. Therapy has helped me learn how to take care of my shoulder surgery. And I have regained strength and range of motion. I didn’t have before surgery.
yousuf B.
Amazing staff and practice! They made me feel very welcome and fixed my shoulder pain in no time! Definitely recommend for anyone looking to visit!