Trigger Point Dry Needling

Trigger Point Dry Needling – A new game in town.

If you haven’t heard of it, you soon will. Trigger point dry needling techniques are becoming popular treatment choices for physical therapists.

With trigger point dry needling, therapists are able to quickly elicit a change in muscle guarding/spasm and movement dysfunction.

 

Do you have:

• Neck or low back pain
• Muscle spasm
• Trigger points
• Stress
• Shoulder pain
• Calf pain

Trigger point dry needling (TDN), or functional dry needling, is a viable treatment for muscular tightness/spasm which commonly follows injury and muscular overuse syndromes.

The treatment technique uses small, thin needles inserted directly into hyper-irritable areas of taut skeletal muscle referred to as trigger points. When the needle hits the trigger point it causes a “twitch response” which produces a physical response in the muscle tissue. Trigger point dry needling often deactivates a trigger point, reduces pain, and restores normal length in involved muscles, restoring normal pain free function.

Dry needling is an effective treatment for acute and chronic pain, rehabilitation from injury, and even pain and injury prevention, with very few side effects. This technique is unequaled in finding and eliminating neuromuscular dysfunction that leads to pain and functional deficits. As an adjunct to traditional physical therapy services, trigger point dry needling has been a welcome addition.

Typically, positive results are apparent within 2-4 treatment sessions but can vary depending on the cause and duration of the symptoms, overall health of the patient, and experience level of the practitioner.