Dry needling therapy

Dry needling works by causing a micro lesion within the pathological tissue thus breaking up shortened tissues, inhibiting a reflex arc from the nervous system to the tissue, normalizing the inflammatory response, and centrally mediating the pain.

Trigger point dry needling is a treatment technique used by physical therapists around the world. In the United States, trigger point dry needling has been approved as within the scope of physical therapy practice in a growing number of states. There are several dry needling techniques, based on different models, including the radiculopathy model and the trigger point model, which are discussed here in detail. Special attention is paid to the clinical evidence for trigger point dry needling and the underlying mechanisms. Comparisons with injection therapy and acupuncture are reviewed. Trigger point dry needling is a relatively new technique used in combination with other physical therapy interventions.