Dry Needling in Jacksonville, FL - For Pain Relief

Dry needling is a skilled technique performed by physical therapists and other providers that involves the use of a monofilament needle to treat pain and dysfunction. A sterile needle is inserted in the muscle or trigger point (a tight band of tender muscle fibers) to help stimulate healing and relax the surrounding muscle.
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We are still learning the exact way that it helps treat conditions such as back pain. It is usually not painful and you may or may not bruise. Every person is different. If you are afraid of needles, this is not for you! It is called dry needling because it is a very small needle and nothing will be injected into your body, thus the needle is dry.  Bleeding is not a common side-effect of dry needling.

The goal of dry needling or trigger point dry needling is to provide the muscle with healing factors to help it remodel and heal. The area can be sore but just like working out, that soreness usually resolves in 24 hours or so. The benefit of dry needling is its ability to target specific muscles. When we use our hands to treat painful muscles the pressure is broad and diffuse. Which, can be fine for some conditions but for others, like shoulder pain or back pain, we really like to be as specific as possible.

The benefit of dry needling is its ability to target specific muscles and pain points. It’s not based on meridians or Qi like in acupuncture. We use our hands to treat, diagnose, and evaluate painful muscles, the pressure is broad and diffuse. 

With dry needling, we can accurately identify and relieve discomfort caused by trigger points (muscle knots) which is often much more difficult to do with targeted stretches/exercises.
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3 Benefits of Dry Needling:

1. The process is quick and can be done in a few minutes, depending on the goal and targeted muscles.
2. Dry needling is highly specific, targeting trigger points that cause pain and discomfort.
3. The results can often be felt very quickly, loosening tight and painful

Those who respond well to the treatment will often feel a difference within the treatment or a few hours later.
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Dry needling is different from acupuncture in that the foundational principles are very different. In short, dry needling focuses on the muscle it is being inserted into not the entire body or other body structures such as organs.

Dry needling is a great treatment of muscular pain including trigger points. Trigger points are often found in muscles in your neck and lower back and even shoulders. Common conditions that are treated with dry needling include shoulder pain, neck pain, and back pain.

_{Reference: Navarro-Santana MJ, Sanchez-Infante J, Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C, Cleland JA, Martín-Casas P, Plaza-Manzano G. Effectiveness of Dry Needling for Myofascial Trigger Points Associated with Neck Pain Symptoms: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med. 2020 Oct 14;9(10):3300. doi: 10.3390/jcm9103300. PMID: 33066556; PMCID: PMC7602246.}