What is dry needling and why do I need it?

Dry needling is a technique we use at the Optimum clinic in Derby to relieve muscle tension. In a similar way to how a sports massage would relieve tension, dry needling does the same.

First of all, don’t be afraid of the term dry needling. The needles are much smaller than any other needle you may have had before. In fact, the ones we use here are only 0.25mm in diameter.

Secondly, dry needling can help relieve the pain of everyday tensions we all suffer from like headaches and back pain.

If you are fed up with taking pills for a persistent problem, dry needling could be what you are looking for.

So, how does it work?

We use dry needling to target the knots (trigger points) of a muscle and stimulate a stretch reflex.

Those trigger points are a bundle of tissue in the muscle where tension is being held. They are hyper irritable and can cause pain locally and across the musculoskeletal system. Trigger points are formed by specific acute trauma or multiple micro traumas. These often occur across a period of time leading to a build up of stress in that area.

The needle is placed into the skin and into the trigger point within the muscle. It releases a chemical response and causes the muscle to relax. This relaxing process leads to more flexibility, more range of movement and ultimately, less pain.

The needle leaves no damage to the skin and they are disposed of after the treatment.

Can anything else supplement my dry needling treatment?

Optimum injury clinic often use dry needling alongside other treatments like sports massage, PNF stretching, graston and taping to name a few. 

Our physiotherapists and sports therapists are always happy to answer any questions you may have about dry needling and how it could help you with headaches, back pain or many other issues that a sports massage or over-the-counter medicine might not be able to ease.

Here at Optimum, we will always try to find the route of your problems for long-term benefits and not just affect your symptoms with short-term solutions.