Dry Needling

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a technique all physical therapists use when appropriate at Plains Physical Therapy for the treatment of pain and movement impairments. The technique uses a “dry” needle, one without medication, inserted through the skin into areas of muscle.

Dry needling is not acupuncture, a practice based on traditional Chinese medicine and performed by acupuncturists. Dry needling is a part of modern Western medicine principles and supported by research.

Dry needling is commonly used to treat a trigger point, which is a taut band of skeletal muscle located within a larger muscle group. Trigger points can be tender to the touch and touching a trigger point may cause pain to other parts of the body. Dry needling involves a thin filiform needle that penetrates the skin and stimulates underlying myofascial trigger points and muscular and connective tissues. The needle allows a physical therapist to target tissues that are not manually palpable. 

Our physical therapists wear gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment when dry needling, consistent with Standard Precautions, Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings, and 0SHA standards. The sterile needles are disposed of in a medical sharps collector.

Physical therapists use dry needling to release or inactivate trigger points to relieve pain and improve range of motion. Preliminary research supports that dry needling improves pain control, reduces muscle tension, and normalizes dysfunctions of the motor end plates and the site at which nerve impulses are transmitted to muscles. This can help speed up the patient’s return to activities. 

Contact Plains Physical Therapy at (406) 826-4383 for more information or to schedule an appointment.