Dry Needling | Trigger Point Dry Needling

Dry Needling

Dry needling, also known as "trigger point dry needling", is a technique used by many different healthcare disciplines, including acupuncturists, physical therapists, physicians, chiropractors, dentists, veterinarians, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, myotherapists (Australia), among others. Acupuncturists usually maintain that dry needling is adapted from acupuncture, but others consider dry needling as a variation of trigger point injections. Dry needling is sometimes referred to as intramuscular stimulation (IMS), especially in Canada. It involves the use of either solid filiform needles or hollow-core hypodermic needles for therapy of muscle pain, including pain related to myofascial pain syndrome. Dry needling is mainly used to treat myofascial trigger points, but it is also used to target connective tissue, neural ailments, and muscular ailments. The American Physical Therapy Association defines dry needling as a technique used to treat dysfunction of skeletal muscle and connective tissue, minimize peripheral nociception (pain), and improve or regulate structural or functional damage.