Medical Acupuncture, also known as “Dry Needling”, is the use of very fine, stainless steel, monofilament needles (the same as with traditional acupuncture) which penetrate the skin to target myofascial trigger points. 

By stimulating, releasing or deactivating trigger points and their surrounding muscle tissue, dry needling can decrease and relieve pain, increase range of motion and generally reduce muscle tension.

So, what is a trigger point? A trigger point is a small area of severe tightness within a muscle that can disrupt function, restrict range of motion, refer pain to other areas or cause local tenderness. When pressure is applied to, or a needle is inserted into a trigger point, it may cause a small ‘twitch’ in the muscle which causes the muscle to send a message to the brain telling it something’s irritating it. This stimulates the brain to release natural painkillers (endorphins) which relieve the ‘irritation’ in the muscle, decreases tightness, increases blood flow, and reduces local and referred pain.   

Although the needle aspect may sound a little intimidating, it’s a safe and effective approach for treating muscular dysfunction and it causes minimal discomfort. It can be useful for small areas that are tricky to treat with hands, and stubborn areas that haven’t responded to other treatments. Although it can be, it’s rarely a stand-alone procedure and is more commonly incorporated into other physical therapy treatments.  

It’s important to note that dry needling is not the same as traditional ‘Chinese’ acupuncture. It uses similar tools, but that’s where the similarities end. Dry needling is performed by different practitioners with different training. Acupuncture is based on Eastern medicine and the ‘Qi’ energy flow and meridians, while dry needling is rooted in Western medicine and evaluation of pain patterns, posture, movement impairments, function and orthopaedic tests. 

I may suggest that we use this technique in your session if I feel it would be beneficial but I’m aware that not everybody is comfortable with needles. I’ll always discuss this with you and explain how it works to establish whether or not this is something you’re comfortable trying. Interestingly, most people can’t actually feel when the needle has gone in. You shouldn’t feel any pain but may experience a slight tightening feeling or pressure around the needle after a few minutes. Needles can be left in for a just a few moments, or (more often) up to around 10/15 minutes.