What is Dry Needling
Dry needling uses thin, sterile, single-use needles to target tight muscles, trigger points, and dysfunctional soft tissue. By stimulating these areas, dry needling can help reduce muscle tension, improve circulation, decrease pain, and restore more normal movement.
Despite the similar use of needles, dry needling is not acupuncture. It is based on modern anatomy, neuroscience, and orthopedic principles and is used to target specific muscles and tissues identified during your evaluation.
The Benefits of Dry Needling
Reduces Muscle Tension
Relieves Pain
Improves Blood Flow
Restores Movement
Targets Trigger Points
Improves Function
Why We Use Dry Needling
At Premier Rehab, dry needling is one tool we use as part of a comprehensive approach to treating pain and movement dysfunction. Because musculoskeletal pain rarely has a single cause, we combine dry needling with orthopedic evaluation, rehabilitation, manual therapy, chiropractic care, and movement retraining when appropriate.
Our goal isn't simply to treat where it hurts. It's to identify what's contributing to your symptoms and help you move better, feel better, and stay active.
Conditions Dry Needling Can Help
Neck pain, muscle spasms, tension headaches, and whiplash.
Rotator cuff injuries, shoulder impingement, and frozen shoulder.
Low back pain, muscle strains, piriformis syndrome, and gluteal pain.
Hip pain, gluteal tendinopathy, IT band syndrome, and hamstring strains.
Runner's knee, patellar tendinitis, and quadriceps dysfunction.
Plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, and shin splints.
What To Expect
✔ Thin, Sterile Needles: Dry needling uses very thin, single-use needles to precisely target muscles and trigger points identified during your evaluation.
✔ Feeling: Needle insertion is often barely noticeable. When a trigger point is reached, you may briefly feel a muscle twitch or cramping sensation. This is a normal response during treatment.
✔ Quick Treatment: Most sessions take approximately 10–20 minutes, depending on the number of muscles and areas being treated.
✔ After Treatment: Mild muscle soreness is common for 24–48 hours and may feel similar to soreness after a workout. Some patients notice improved movement immediately, while others experience gradual improvement over the following days.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Although both use thin needles, dry needling is based on modern anatomy, neuroscience, and orthopedic principles, while acupuncture is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Most patients tolerate dry needling well. Needle insertion is often barely noticeable, although you may briefly feel a twitch or cramping sensation when a trigger point is targeted.
Yes. When performed by properly trained healthcare providers using sterile, single-use needles, dry needling is considered a safe procedure. Before treatment, we perform a thorough evaluation to determine whether dry needling is appropriate for you.
Dry needling may be appropriate if you have persistent muscle tightness, painful trigger points, chronic neck or back pain, limited mobility, or a sports injury that hasn't fully responded to other treatments.
The number of treatments varies based on your condition, how long you've experienced symptoms, and how you respond to treatment. Your provider will recommend a treatment plan based on your individual needs.
Mild muscle soreness for 24–48 hours is common and typically feels similar to post-workout soreness.
Often, yes. Your provider will recommend the appropriate activity level based on your condition and treatment plan.
Dry needling directly targets dysfunctional muscles and trigger points, including deeper areas that can be difficult to reach with hands-on treatment alone. When combined with rehabilitation, manual therapy, chiropractic care, and movement retraining, it can be an effective tool for helping patients reduce pain and move better.
Move Better. Feel Better.
Dry needling can help reduce muscle pain, release trigger points, and restore movement. Find out if it's the right treatment for you.
