Acupuncture is one of the many skills used within the scope of physiotherapy.

Acupuncture can be used as part of an integrated approach to managing pain and inflammation and as a means of stimulating the body’s own healing chemicals to aid recovery and enhance rehabilitation.

Dry Needling involves several techniques that can be employed depending on patient requirements. The two most commonly used techniques are the:

In-and-out techniques

Some forms of dry needling use techniques called pistoning or sparrow pecking. Both of these techniques rely on in-and-out needle insertion. In other words, the needles don’t stay inserted in the skin for long.

The needles prick the trigger points and are then removed. More research is needed to support this method of dry needling.

Non-trigger point technique

Some dry needling techniques treat a broader landscape of the central nervous system. This is called non-trigger point treatment. Instead of inserting needles only in the area of pain, the practitioner may instead insert needles in regions around the point of pain instead of directly on it.

This technique relies on the idea that pain results from a greater nerve or muscular issue and is not just focused on the central area of pain.

What are the desired effects of dry needling?

When dry needling is applied to an affected muscle or trigger point, it can decrease muscle tightness, increase blood flow and reduce pain.