What is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is a treatment technique wherein thin filiform needles penetrate the skin to stimulate the underlying myofascial trigger points, and muscular and connective tissues to manage neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments.    

But what are trigger points? A trigger point is a tight band in a muscle fiber (a knot) that causes pain, disrupts function, and restricts range of motion, when dry needling is applied to the trigger point, it stimulates a twitch response in these muscle fibers which then release the spasm causing the pain or disruption.   

Its referred to as dry needling because the needles do not inject anything into the body, hence the term “dry”.