If you’ve ever experienced nagging muscle pain or tightness that just won’t go away, you might be dealing with something called a myofascial trigger point—more commonly known as a “muscle knot.” These tight, sensitive bands of muscle can limit your mobility, cause referred pain, and interfere with everyday activities. Fortunately, there’s a highly targeted treatment designed to release that tension and help your body move better: dry needling.

Dry needling therapy is a modern therapeutic technique used by qualified healthcare providers—most commonly physiotherapists—to treat muscle pain and dysfunction. While it may look similar to acupuncture, dry needling is firmly grounded in Western medicine and is based on a detailed understanding of anatomy, physiology, and the neuromuscular system.

So, what makes it so effective? Let’s break it down.

What Is Dry Needling?

At its core, dry needling involves the insertion of fine, sterile needles directly into the skin and muscle, specifically targeting painful trigger points. The goal is to release muscle tension, improve blood flow, reduce pain, and restore movement.

It’s called “dry” needling because the needles don’t inject any fluid—they simply stimulate the body’s natural healing response.

Patients often describe the sensation as a brief, deep ache or twitch, followed by a noticeable sense of relief. In many cases, they walk out of a session feeling lighter, looser, and with significantly reduced discomfort.

How It Works: More Than Just a Needle

Dry needling works through several mechanisms, each contributing to its powerful effects:

1. Muscle Reset Through Trigger Point Deactivation
   The moment a needle reaches a trigger point, it can trigger a local twitch response—an involuntary contraction of the muscle. This reaction is more than a reflex; it’s a reset button for tight, overactive muscles. Once the twitch occurs, the muscle begins to relax, relieving the tension that’s been building up over time.

2. Boosts Blood Flow and Healing
   By stimulating the area, dry needling increases blood circulation, delivering more oxygen and nutrients while flushing out waste products like lactic acid. This helps reduce inflammation and encourages the muscle tissue to heal more efficiently—especially useful for overuse injuries or postural strains.
3. Interrupts the Pain Cycle
   Dry needling also has a powerful effect on the nervous system. It “reprograms” how pain signals are sent to the brain by interrupting the feedback loop that keeps your body in a state of pain and tension. Additionally, it stimulates the release of endorphins—your body’s natural painkillers—offering immediate and lasting relief.
4. Improves Range of Motion and Function
   Once the muscle tension eases and pain subsides, patients often experience increased flexibility and freedom of movement. Whether you’re an athlete aiming to perform at your best or someone simply trying to move without discomfort, dry needling can help restore functional, pain-free motion.

Techniques Tailored to You

One of the greatest advantages of dry needling is how adaptable it is to different needs and conditions. Depending on your pain, injury, or movement issue, your physiotherapist might choose from a range of techniques:

• Superficial Dry Needling – Targets the upper layers of muscle, often used for localised, surface-level pain or sensitive areas.
• Deep Dry Needling – Reaches deeper tissues to treat chronic or more complex muscle issues.
• Segmental Dry Needling – Focuses on muscles associated with specific spinal nerve roots, helping resolve pain patterns linked to spine-related dysfunction.

Because it’s so precise, dry needling can be applied to everything from neck and shoulder pain to headaches, lower back discomfort, and even sports-related injuries.

What Does the Research Say?

The clinical evidence for dry needling is promising, especially for short-term pain relief and functional improvement:

• Short-Term Pain Reduction: Multiple studies show that dry needling leads to a significant reduction in pain compared to placebo or no treatment. In a 2017 meta-analysis, the average improvement in pain scores was 1.27 points better on a standard pain scale (VAS) for dry needling compared to control or sham treatment over a 12-week period, with some studies showing improvements as high as 2.7 to 3.0 points, which is considered clinically meaningful.
• Pressure Pain Threshold: Dry needling increased the pressure pain threshold (the minimum force that causes pain) more than control treatments in 9 out of 11 measurements within 12 weeks, indicating reduced muscle sensitivity.
• Improved Function: Increased range of motion and reduced disability in the short term, particularly when combined with exercise and manual therapy.
• Long-Term Outcomes: While long-term benefits vary, ongoing sessions as part of a broader physiotherapy program tend to produce sustained improvements over time.

In short, dry needling works best when it’s part of a comprehensive care plan—something an experienced physio can tailor specifically for your body and goals.

Is Dry Needling Right for You?

If you’re dealing with ongoing pain, stiffness, or a stubborn injury that hasn’t responded to traditional treatment, dry needling could offer the breakthrough you need. It’s safe, minimally invasive, and typically well-tolerated, with most patients experiencing mild soreness at most after treatment.

The key to success is working with a skilled and qualified physiotherapist who understands how to use dry needling as part of an integrated approach to recovery and performance.

At Mickleham Physio, our team is trained in advanced dry needling techniques and committed to helping you move better, feel stronger, and live pain-free. We combine dry needling with evidence-based physiotherapy, tailored exercises, and hands-on care to deliver lasting results.

If you’re ready to finally get relief from pain and reclaim your mobility, we’re here to help. Contact us today and take the first step toward a healthier, more active you.