Written by: Andrew Millett

Dry needling can be a helpful addition to a treatment plan that includes exercise and other types of therapy. It is completed by inserting stainless steel needles into the skin. There are many benefits of dry needling, and it can help all types of people. 

At Move Strong Physical Therapy, we provide dry needling in Massachusetts at our Hudson PT location as one of the main techniques included in a treatment plan. For those interested in learning more about dry needling, keep reading this article to learn what it is, how it works, and its benefits.

What is Dry Needling?

You’ve likely heard of dry needling and know what it involves. The name may sound scary, but dry needling is a safe and effective way to manage pain used by physical therapists as one of the many techniques as part of a larger pain treatment plan.

The process of dry needling involves inserting fine stainless steel needles into your skin. The technique uses a "dry" needle, meaning the needle does not inject medication into the body but is inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle.

Is it Painful?

This is a common question about dry needling among our Massachusetts physical therapy clients and one of the misconceptions about dry needling. You may think dry needling is painful; however, the process is relatively painless for most. The needles used are thin and sharp, and as a result, you will not feel much. You will experience a twitching sensation, and your muscles will feel sore over the next day or two, similar to how you would feel after a workout.

Five Benefits of Dry Needling

Now that we know what dry needling is and what to expect with the process, we can move on to the benefits. Dry needling can be used for pain relief in many parts of the body, including the back, neck, hips, shoulders, and knees. 

Here are some of the best benefits of dry needling:

1. Improve range of motion
2. Fight headaches and migraines
3. Relieves muscle tightness
4. Provide back pain relief
5. It benefits those with many conditions

Dry Needling Can Improve a Person's Range of Motion

There are times when a person will have tension built up in a certain part of their body and that tension will keep them from moving how they want to move. Dry needling can treat the specific area where the issue has developed, and it can be used to relieve the tension so that a person can have a full range of motion once again.

Dry Needling Can be Used to Fight Migraines and Other Headaches

Certain muscles in the neck, face, and shoulders can contribute to migraines, and certain pressure can make a person feel sick or contribute to their headache. Dry needling can be used to help deal with muscle tightness so that a person can be relieved of their migraine or headache.

Muscle Tightness Can be Relieved Through Dry Needling

Dry needling can take care of the inflammation in a person's body, helping to relieve tightness and help a person feel healthier, overall. Athletes can experience muscle tightness, and dry needling can help fight that so that a person feels healthy and can work out in the way they want to.

Dry Needling Can Provide Back Pain Relief

Some of our Massachusetts dry needling clients have had back issues for a long time. Others have pulled something in their back and just started to deal with pain there. No matter the story behind back pain, it can disrupt life. Dry needling brings many benefits to those dealing with back pain, increasing blood flow and relieving any knots.

Dry Needling Benefits Those with Many Conditions

Dry needling can improve many conditions, including sciatica pain. Those with tennis elbow and joint dysfunction can find help through this treatment, as can those with phantom pain and whiplash.

Learn More About Dry Needling as a Pain Management Technique

For Massachusetts athletes and active adults looking for a new treatment that they can try out to repair their body and care for it should look into the benefits of dry needling. There is a chance that this type of treatment (or a similar treatment, like cupping,) can help with issues that other treatments failed to fix.

At Move Strong Physical Therapy, we offer the option for our customers in the Central Massachusetts area to try dry needling for pain management. If you have questions about dry needling, contact us, or come visit us at our physical therapy center in Hudson, Massachusetts. We look forward to seeing you.