Trigger Point Dry Needling

Trigger point dry needling has become a life changing intervention in rehabilitation and pain management over the years. It is still relatively new in quite a few areas, meaning not all doctors may be fully aware of the effectiveness in this type of treatment yet.

Trigger point dry needling is based off research by Dr. Jay Shah and colleagues, realizing that inserting a needle into a trigger point can cause biomechanical changes that assist in reducing pain. Trigger point dry needling involves inserting a solid filament needle into the myofascial trigger point, more commonly known as a “knot”, in order to elicit a twitch response. This twitch allows that taut band to release and the muscle to relax. This muscle stimulation also disrupts the pain cycle via chemical changes in the muscle itself.

A trigger point is a hypersensitive spot that is located within a taut band in a muscle. Trigger points can be the result of initiation of a new activity, overuse or prolonged poor posture can result in ongoing pain and muscle dysfunction. If left untreated, trigger points can lead to muscle referred pain which can mimic pain referral patterns more commonly thought to be that of referred pain from the nervous system.

Trigger point dry needling can treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions including, but not limited to:

Due to the possible wide use of dry needling, a consultation/evaluation from a licensed physical therapist who is trained in trigger point dry needling is appropriate to determine the most effective plan of care.