Acupuncture Style Dry Needling

Acupuncture-style dry needling is a modern Western medical treatment that uses thin, solid “acupuncture” needles to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement issues. While it uses the same tools as traditional acupuncture, the two practices differ fundamentally in their philosophy and application.

The primary goal of dry needling is to target myofascial trigger points, commonly known as “muscle knots”. These are hyperirritable spots in taut bands of muscle that cause local or referred pain and restrict movement.

Mechanism: Inserting a needle into a trigger point or area of tight muscles which often causes a local twitch response. This involuntary contraction helps the muscle fibers relax, increases blood flow, and releases natural pain-relieving endorphins.