Dry needling
Dry needling is used in the treatment of pain of musculoskeletal origin. The use of a “dry” needle, meaning without medication,is inserted to the muscle to deactivate trigger points (taut bands of muscle fibres located within a muscle). Trigger points exist naturally in latent form, causing no symptoms or in so called active form which causes pain that might radiate to other areas. With the help of the dry needle the therapist aims to deactivate the trigger point in order to reduce muscle tension and relieve pain.
Dry needling is usually not a stand alone treatment modality but is frequently used in conjunction with other manual therapies.
In some rare cases, the following 24 hours after the treatment, there is a chance of a slight transient increase in symptoms in the affected area in the form of pressure or numbness before the pain relief is achieved.