Dry needling is a type of treatment aimed at relieving muscle pain and tension. With dry needling, very thin needles are inserted into ‘knots’ or trigger points in specific muscles with the aim of releasing the tension in that muscle. It is similar in some ways to acupuncture, though acupuncture is driven by ancient Chinese Medicine principals.
Treatment with dry needling can be a great option for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including muscle pain and tightness, lower back pain, neck pain, knee pain and more. There is mounting evidence for the benefits of dry needling in many situations. If your problem is unresponsive to other types of manual therapy (such as spinal manipulation, mobilisation or massage), it can be worthwhile trying dry needling.