You may have heard of dry needling and wondered what it is or if this type of treatment might be right for you.
Dry needling is an effective technique for treating and managing pain. It can be used for a variety of musculoskeletal issues, such as shoulder, neck, heel, hip and back pain. Skilled, trained physical therapists in Bloomer use a thin monofilament needle to penetrate the skin and treat underlying muscular trigger points for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments.
A trigger point is a tight band in a muscle fiber that can disrupt function, restrict range of motion, refer pain or cause local tenderness. When dry needling is applied to a dysfunctional muscle or trigger point, it can decrease banding or tightness, increase blood flow, and reduce local and referred pain.
Dry needling treats muscle tissue with the goal of reducing pain, inactivating trigger points and restoring function. However, it rarely is a standalone procedure. It often is a part of a broader physical therapy approach incorporating other traditional physical therapy interventions into treatment.