Dry needling is the insertion of acupuncture sized needles into trigger points. Trigger points are hyperirritable points within a muscle that can refer pain locally or to another area of the body. By treating a trigger point with a fine needle the referred pain can be reduced or resolved.
It is unknown how dry needling resolves trigger point pain but it is thought that it causes the release of hormones and other chemicals to induce healing. If you have sufficient natural healing abilities, there will be an improvement in muscle function, tension and tightness. This is why dry needling isn’t performed on individuals with reduced immune function; the desired effect may not be achievable.
When the fine needle is inserted into the muscle there is a variety of sensations that someone can feel including a quick electric sensation, mosquito bite type pain, small muscle twitch, dull ache, heaviness and even itchiness. Any pain associated with the insertion should resolve in a few seconds, otherwise the needle can be removed. Once the needles are removed, some people have residual soreness that may last for 30 minutes to two days.
Dry needling is used in conjunction with other treatments such as stretching and strengthening which aim to maintain muscle function. Common lower limb injuries that respond well to dry needling include:
• Heel and arch pain
• Ball of foot pain
• Shin splints
• Achilles injuries
• Calf injuries including tears