What is Dry Needling
What is a trigger point?
“A myofascial trigger point is defined as a hyperirritable spot in the skeletal muscle that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule in a taut band” (Simons, Travell, & Simons, 1999).
Muscles that have trigger points are hyperactive and weak and often display restricted range of motion and sensitivity to stretch thus causing dysfunction of movement.
Needling a trigger point will:
- Causes a local twitch response, resulting in reduced electrical activity.
- Causes a decrease in CGRP and substance P which correlates to reduced pain and tenderness.
- Can stimulate collagen and protein formation thus promoting healing.
Additional effects of dry needling:
- Stimulation of nerve fibres which can be responsible for pain.
- Causes activation of neuropeptides and release of chemicals (e.g. histamine, CGRP, substance P).
- Stimulates local endorphins to be released by inflammatory cells causing local pain relief for 2-3 days.
- CGRP modifies inflammatory cells and therefore acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
- Increased blood flow to the site (50-80% with deep needling, 25-40% with superficial).
- Effects the afferent nerves of the spinal cord thus reducing pain.
- Similar effects on neural pathways in the brain that opioids have.
- Activates pathways that release serotonin (hormone that makes you feel good).
- Serum cortisol levels rise after 5-45 minutes.
See our expert Physiotherapy team at Frenchs Forest and Macquarie Park!
Reece Jones
Principal Physiotherapist
Set In Motion Physiotherapy