By Castleview Physical Therapist Matthew Holt, DPT, OCS
Perhaps the wrong name was chosen for this intervention. But for better or worse, Dry Needling is what it is called. To most people, the thought of being jabbed by a needle does not seem to be helpful, and can be a scary prospect. However, I hope by the end of this article the reader is at least more informed about Dry Needling.
By far the most often question I get about Dry Needling is, “What is it?” Like most things, there is a long and short answer. Here is the short answer. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is the nationally recognized organization for Physical Therapists. In 2013, the APTA made the following statements about Dry Needling:
“Dry needling is a skilled intervention that uses a thin filiform needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying myofascial trigger point, muscular and connective tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments.
Dry Needling is a technique used to treat dysfunction is skeletal muscle, fascial and connective tissue and diminish persistent peripheral nociceptive input and reduce or restore impairment of body structure and function leading to improved activity and participation.”
The first statement about a skilled intervention is important. Post professional training and education are required to perform Dry Needling to ensure appropriate and competent treatment. If Dry Needling is appropriate, it consists of using a filiform (filiform means thread like, literally 0.3 millimeters wide) needle that penetrates the skin and is advanced into muscles, fascia and connective tissue that cause pain or dysfunction. This statement uses the terms neuromusculoskeletal pain and myofascial trigger point. Neuromusculoskeletal pain means pain that can come from nerves, muscles and bones. Although there is debate exactly what a myofascial trigger point is, think of it as an area of a muscle that can make the muscle not function correctly and can cause a painful stimulus (nociceptive input).
The second statement uses the word nociceptive input. Nociceptive input can be interpreted by the brain as pain. Dry Needling can be used to decrease or eliminate the painful stimulus sent to the brain from muscle, fascia or connective tissue.
So, there is the short answer. However, as with most answers there are usually more questions. Like, why use a painful stimulus (needle) to get rid of another pain? How is this different from acupuncture? How does it work? What are the risks? How long will it last? How many treatments do I need? I’m sure there are many more out there.
Dry Needling can be a very effective treatment for muscular pain. How do you know if your pain and symptoms come from a muscle, joint, nerve, or other structure? Through specific evaluation, a physical therapist can help determine main contributing factors to pain and dysfunction.
To answer any questions, for more information, or to see if you may benefit from this treatment option, please feel free to stop by the new Urgent Care building (317 East 100 North, Price). We would love to discuss more about this effective treatment option. Drop in appointments are welcome.
Citation
Description of Dry Needling in Clinical Practice: An Educational Resource Paper
Produced by the Public Policy, Practice, and Professional Affairs Unit of the American Physical Therapy Association. February 2013.