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
5.0
Based on 298 reviews
Chris
Working with Lily at the Northeast clinic was awesome! I worked with her for over a year rehabbing a knee issue. She was very patient with me and worked at my pace, but would push me when she knew I could handle it. She was professional, yet a joy to work with. I will be recommending Lily and the NE clinic to anyone I know! (Mark B)
souleymane C.
Dr Kelvin is amazing, and the front receptionist Jenny is awesome and welcoming. Thank you guys for helping me with my back pain.
Olivia D.
Highly recommend Lily Anderson! I'm a runner and I've done *a lot* of physical therapy at a lot of different practices. PRO Therapy stands apart because of how easy it is to schedule appointments compared to larger health systems. Lily is also always accessible by email and, unlike PTs I've had at larger health systems, always responded to my emails promptly and with substantive advice. I appreciate Lily's strength focused approach and targeted use of manual therapies, and how she made sure to inquire about adequate fueling and other injury risk factors. While I hope I won't be back soon, as a runner I know I'll need PT help again at some point. When I do, I won't hesitate to go back to Lily at PRO Therapy.
Alec R.
Super attentive and helpful staff. Felt very comfortable and taken care of.
Moulay-fayssal S.
I cannot recommend Lilly highly enough! After experiencing significant shoulder pain following an injury, I was unsure how to find relief. From the very first session, Lilly's expertise and compassionate approach made all the difference.

She took the time to thoroughly assess my condition and developed a tailored treatment plan that addressed my specific needs. Throughout our sessions, Lilly was incredibly patient and supportive, guiding me through each exercise and explaining their purpose. Her knowledge of anatomy and rehabilitation techniques is impressive, and she always ensured I felt comfortable and confident in my progress.

Thanks to her dedication and encouragement, I have significantly improved my strength and mobility. Lilly truly cares about her patients, and it shows in her work. If you're looking for a skilled and attentive physical therapist, I highly recommend Lilly. She has truly changed my life!

Thank you, Lilly, for your help.
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!
Dan C.
Everyone was nice, positive, really helpful and the stuff they do really helps! I appreciate you all and can't wait to keep coming back!! Thanks again
Travis S
As a chiropractor, I've explored various treatments for my persistent knee pain, but Stimwave therapy at ProTherapy has been the most effective. The team was knowledgeable, professional, and made me feel comfortable throughout the process. Since starting treatment, my knee pain has improved significantly and the constant ache I was having is gone.
Suzanne D.
Would recommend and would return for future needs. Dr. Lily was a great listener and tailored her approach to my needs, reassessing each time to make sure I was progressing and my overall goals were met. I also received weekly emails with my plan and left treatment with an overall plan to sustain my improvements. If you’re having pain, soreness, lack of mobility, etc. this will help.
Google Rating
5.0
Based on 298 reviews