Is Dry Needling the best therapy for me?

​The word “needle” may be intimidating or scary for some people, but when we talk about Dry Needling, we talk about a safe, trustworthy and effective technique used as treatment to relieve Musculoskeletal pain.

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This technique is not part of the traditional acupuncture, it is used by Physical Therapists with special needles as a treatment for myofascial trigger points that can be caused by training, bad postures, or sudden movements that might be causing pain, muscle tension or limited range of motion.
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The application is simple and relatively fast, it consists of inserting a thin mono filament needle into skin and muscles, once inside, the Physical Therapist guides the needle according to his/her knowledge in anatomy, it can be moved in and out of the muscle (without reinserting the needle).​
 
Even though it is easy to apply the technique, it must be applied by a qualified and skilled Physical Therapist because they are experts in human anatomy and they know how, when and why to apply it safely in order to avoid causing any injury.
 
Does it hurt? Is there any side effect?

• About 60-70% of cases slight pain may develop at the time of application. For most people, there may be a feeling of muscle tension, possible pain and / or a feeling of muscle fatigue (as when one exercises a lot) but this feeling should disappear within 24-48 hours maximum.

 

• About 15-20% of cases may present minor bleeding or bruising after dry needling, which is completely normal.

 

• About 1-3% of cases may present drowsiness, tiredness or dizziness after application.

 

• Serious side effects can occur after dry needling; however, it only occurs 0.1% of the time.

 
It is more common to hear or see dry needling applied to athletes due to the rapidity of tissue regeneration that allows them to be back in their workouts practically the day after application.
 
However, it is not only for athletes, it can also be used for other cases such as releasing stress generated in the office or releasing muscle tension generated by poor posture or sudden movement.
 
Is Dry Needling the best therapy for me?
 
Yes, it is possible that it is, as long as your Physical Therapist recommends it after an assessment and if it’s determined that it is necessary to use this technique.
 
Just keep in mind that it is not a magic solution and that you will surely need to do some stretching or exercise to help the body in the recovery process and that you may feel some pain during or after the application.

Luis Hernandez