TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
DRY NEEDLING:
PRECISE, POWERFUL, FAST
For trigger points too deep, too stubborn, or too painful for manual pressure — a filament needle reaches where nothing else can, releasing what nothing else will
WHAT IT IS
TARGETING THE SOURCE, NOT JUST THE SYMPTOMS
Dry needling is a Western medicine, anatomy-based technique that uses thin monofilament needles to directly target myofascial trigger points — the irritable, hyperirritable spots within muscle tissue that cause local pain, referred pain, motor dysfunction, and restricted range of motion. If you've ever had a knot that you just can't seem to work out no matter how much you stretch or massage it, that's a trigger point. Dry needling goes straight to it.
NOT ACUPUNCTURE
- Dry needling and acupuncture use the same needle type, but that's where the similarity ends. Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine principles and works with energy channels (meridians). Dry needling is grounded in Western anatomy and neuroscience — every needle placement is based on muscle anatomy, trigger point referral patterns, and neurophysiology. We're targeting specific muscles. There is no guesswork.
HOW IT WORKS
- A trigger point is a region of muscle where the sarcomeres (contractile units) have locked in a shortened state, creating a local energy crisis — reduced blood flow, buildup of sensitizing chemicals, and sustained neural input to the brain that registers as pain. When a needle is inserted into this spot, it elicits a local twitch response — a brief, involuntary contraction of the muscle — that disrupts the electrical activity maintaining the trigger point, restores local circulation, and resets the muscle's resting tone. The relief after a successful twitch response is typically immediate and dramatic.
WHAT TO EXPECT
- Needle insertion is minimally felt — far thinner than any shot you've had
- Twitch response feels like a deep, brief cramp (lasts seconds)
- Most clients feel significant release immediately after
- Mild soreness for 24–48 hours post-treatment is normal
- Stay hydrated and move gently after sessions
COMMON APPLICATIONS
- Cervicogenic headaches and neck pain
- Shoulder (rotator cuff, rhomboids, traps)
- Low back and gluteal trigger points
- Piriformis syndrome / sciatica
- Hamstring, quad, and calf tightness
- TMJ dysfunction
- Plantar fascia and foot pain
HOW IT INTEGRATES WITH OTHER CARE
- Dry needling is most powerful when used strategically within a broader treatment plan. We commonly use it to release a stubborn trigger point before a chiropractic adjustment (softening the tissue so the joint can move more freely) or to address deep muscular tightness that is limiting the results of your manual therapy. It can dramatically accelerate timelines for conditions that have been resistant to other care — often producing in one or two sessions what weeks of other therapy could not achieve.
