Dr. Estebanez is a specialist in Physiotherapy and Osteopathy in Valencia. In this article she explains what dry needling is, an effective procedure for pathologies such as contractures, lumbago and tension headaches.
Dry needling is one of the physiotherapy techniques considered invasive, since it consists of applying an acupuncture needle to the trigger point of the muscle. The trigger point of the muscle can be felt as a tense band in the muscle, and can cause pain in the same place or in other more distant areas (referred pain).
An example of trigger point and referred pain is as follows:
The trigger points of the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscle are marked with crosses, however the pain they cause is represented with red shading, away from these points.
Applying the needle in the trigger points would disappear the local pain and referred pain, for this reason it is a very effective technique. Although it is a little more painful than manual treatment, patients demand it because of its high effectiveness.
However, it is a palliative technique, since if the cause of the contracture of that muscle is not treated, it will reload more or less quickly. For this reason, the treatment should also include other postural measures and healthy habits.
Pathologies treated with dry needling
These include muscular pain of any type, muscle contractures, cervical pain, back pain, tension headache and sports injuries.