Dry Needling

Dry Needling: Targeted Relief for Muscular Tension and Pain

Dry Needling is a modern, science-based therapeutic technique used to reduce muscle tension, spasm, and pain. It’s called “dry” because—unlike injections—no medication is delivered. The treatment comes from the mechanical effects of the needle itself as it stimulates healing within the muscle tissue.

Science Over Tradition:
Unlike acupuncture (based on Eastern philosophy), dry needling is grounded in modern anatomy and physiology. It directly targets neuromuscular dysfunction, making it a powerful option for patients with lingering pain, stiffness, or performance limitations.

Dry needling is guided by anatomical knowledge and modern medical science—not traditional energy pathways like acupuncture. That’s what makes it a powerful, evidence-informed technique for treating musculoskeletal dysfunction and restoring proper movement.

Dry needling is grounded in modern medical science—not traditional energy pathways. It offers patients an effective solution rooted in anatomy, physiology, and decades of research.

When the needles are precisely inserted into the affected area, they stimulate a natural healing response in your body. This includes:

• Osteoblastic Activity: Dry needling encourages the production of osteoblasts, which are essential for bone healing and repair.

• Repairing Tears and Injuries: This technique promotes tissue regeneration, helping to repair small tears in muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

• Frozen Shoulder Relief: Dry needling is particularly effective in improving and releasing frozen shoulders by loosening tight tissues and enhancing mobility.

• Improved Movement: By reducing adhesions and relieving muscle tension, dry needling restores range of motion and improves overall movement.

Benefits of Dry Needling

• Pain Relief: Targets trigger points to release built-up tension and alleviate discomfort.

• Faster Recovery: Stimulates the body’s natural repair mechanisms, accelerating healing from injuries or chronic pain.

• Restored Function: Helps you regain lost range of motion and perform daily activities with ease.

• Preventative Care: Addresses underlying muscular imbalances before they lead to more serious issues.

Injuries—from overuse or trauma—cause tissues to become inflamed and contract protectively, limiting blood flow and oxygen. This triggers the body to produce fibroblasts, leading to scar tissue (fibrosis) around muscles and nerves. That buildup limits motion, irritates nerves, and contributes to chronic pain.

Dry needling helps break this cycle by restoring circulation, reducing inflammation, and releasing restricted tissues—all without medication.

A very thin, solid filament needle is inserted directly into a contracted, painful muscle knot (trigger point). This creates a local twitch response—a brief contraction—which is both diagnostic and therapeutic. Patients often describe the sensation as a quick cramp or electric shock: uncomfortable, but not painful.

💥 Immediate Benefits:

• Releases muscle contracture and spasm

• Improves joint mobility and flexibility

• Reduces pain and dysfunction

• Enhances athletic performance

Dry needling is a precise technique performed using extremely thin, sterile filament needles—typically ranging from 0.16mm to 0.30mm in diameter. These needles are inserted directly into tight, painful muscle bands (trigger points) with the goal of releasing tension, improving circulation, and restoring movement.

At FitLab Rehab, Dr. Dorea Neigert takes this process a step further. Once the needle is inserted into the targeted muscle, she often applies a technique called needle manipulation, gently twisting the needle within the tissue to continue stimulating the area. This promotes a stronger therapeutic effect by encouraging the muscle to release more thoroughly and engaging a deeper neuromuscular response.

🕒 Expect a Longer Session
Unlike typical treatment visits, dry needling sessions may require additional time. After the needles are placed, we allow time for the muscle to reach a favorable release—a process that varies by patient and by condition. This isn’t rushed, and patients are carefully monitored for comfort and effectiveness throughout.

💬 Patients may feel:

• A brief twitch or cramping sensation

• Mild soreness or achiness post-treatment

• Immediate relief in mobility or pain reduction

Conditions Treated with Dry Needling

Dry needling is a research-supported technique used to relieve pain, restore mobility, and accelerate recovery. It targets myofascial trigger points, muscle tension, and neuromuscular dysfunction—making it effective across a wide range of conditions.

Musculoskeletal Pain & Dysfunction

Dry needling is widely used to treat localized and referred pain caused by muscle tightness, joint dysfunction, and nerve irritation.

Condition Evidence-Based Benefits

Low Back Pain Reduced pain, improved mobility

Neck Pain Decreased tension, better range of motion

Shoulder Impingement & Pain Improved muscle activation and flexibility

Knee Osteoarthritis Pain relief and improved function

Hip & Gluteal Pain Trigger point release and mobility gains

Plantar Fasciitis Reduced heel pain and tissue tension

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Improved grip strength and pain reduction

Headaches & Neurological Conditions

Dry needling can help reduce muscle tension and referred pain patterns associated with:

• Tension-type headaches & migraines

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction

• Whiplash & post-concussion muscle pain

• Phantom limb pain & postherpetic neuralgia

Sports Injuries & Overuse Syndromes

Athletes and active individuals benefit from dry needling for:

• Tendinopathies (Achilles, patellar, rotator cuff)

• Muscle strains & spasms

• Repetitive motion disorders (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome)

• Post-surgical stiffness & recovery support

Common Tendon Conditions Treated in Clinic

Dry needling has shown measurable success in treating:

Achilles Tendinopathy:  Reduced pain, improved tendon structure'

Patellar Tendinopathy: Enhanced flexibility, decreased tightness

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Better grip strength, less stiffness

Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: Improved range of motion and healing

“Dry needling produced statistically significant improvements in tendon pain and function across multiple trials.”
— Clinical Rehabilitation Journal, 2023

Short Answer: YES! 

Long Answer: 

Tendon Repair & Tissue Remodeling

Clinical studies show dry needling promotes natural tissue healing through:

• Microtrauma stimulation that triggers your body’s repair response

  • ➕ Increased Type I collagen for stronger tendons

  • 🌱 Boosted angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth)

  • 🔄 Accelerated tissue granulation and regeneration

• Needle manipulation techniques (like gentle twisting) stimulate:

• Fibroblast activation

• Cytoskeletal reorganization

• Reduced tissue tension and improved cell adhesion

✅ Some studies even show ultrasound-confirmed improvement in tendon quality.

🔥 Pain Relief Through Neurophysiological Reset

Dry needling provides rapid relief by targeting neuromuscular dysfunction:

• Reduces nerve sensitivity and calms overactive pain receptors

• Restores blood flow to injured, oxygen-deprived tissue

• Resets motor end plates for better muscle control

• Releases chronic muscle contracture and spasm

✨ A 2023 umbrella review showed dry needling to be superior to sham treatment and comparable to leading physical therapy methods for short-term pain relief.

The Physiology Behind Dry Needling: How It Helps Your Body Heal

Dry needling works by directly targeting areas of muscular dysfunction—often referred to as trigger points or muscle "knots"—through precise needle insertion. Here's how it affects your tissue on a physiological level:

🔍 What Happens in Injured or Overused Muscles

• Muscles that have been overused, injured, or strained can develop contractures, or areas of persistent tightness.

• These contractures reduce microcirculation, limiting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients while preventing the removal of metabolic waste.

• As circulation diminishes, the tissue becomes hypoxic (low in oxygen), which stimulates the production of fibroblasts—cells that create scar tissue (fibrosis).

• This buildup of fibrosis can compress nearby nerves, restrict movement, and lead to chronic pain and reduced mobility.

🪡 How Dry Needling Interrupts That Cycle

• A thin, sterile needle is inserted into the trigger point, stimulating a local twitch response—a brief involuntary contraction of the muscle fibers.

• This response "resets" the muscle by breaking up the contracture and improving blood flow to the area.

• The mechanical stimulation of the needle enhances microcirculation, delivering oxygen-rich blood and flushing out waste products.

• It also stimulates the body's healing response, decreasing inflammation and reducing nerve sensitivity.

⚙️ Physiological Benefits

• Decreased muscle tension and spasm

• Improved range of motion and flexibility

• Pain reduction through desensitization of nerves

• Enhanced tissue repair and recovery speed

• Better neuromuscular coordination and performance

Evidence for Tendon Repair

1. Dry Needling as a Treatment Modality for Tendinopathy
   Reviews multiple randomized controlled trials and cohort studies

   • Shows improved collagen production, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling

   • Read the full article on Springer

2. Dry Needling of a Healthy Rat Achilles Tendon Increases Its Gene Expressions
   Animal study showing increased expression of healing-related genes (e.g., Cox2, Col3a1, Scx)

   • Published in Pain Medicine (Oxford Academic)

3. Dry Needling in Sports and Sport Recovery: A Systematic Review
   Highlights dry needling’s role in tendon remodeling and recovery in athletic populations

   • Available on Springer

Evidence for Pain Relief

4. Dry Needling: A Clinical Commentary
   Explains physiological mechanisms for pain reduction, including decreased inflammatory mediators

   • Published in International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy

5. Is Dry Needling Effective for Musculoskeletal Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
   Analyzes 42 randomized controlled trials

   • Finds large short-term and moderate long-term pain reduction effects

   • Published in Physical Therapy (Oxford Academic)

6. Dry Needling in the Management of Musculoskeletal Pain
   One of the earliest comprehensive reviews supporting dry needling’s efficacy

   • Published in Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine

 Supporting Research

• Dry Needling: Current Evidence and Clinical Application – Kaiser Permanente

• Cleveland Clinic: Dry Needling for Pain Relief

• Cleveland Clinic Health Library – Dry Needling Overview

• JOSPT Systematic Review on Musculoskeletal Pain

• Integrating Pulse: Assessing Dry Needling Evidence