Trigger Point Dry Needling uses solid filament needles which are inserted into the skin and muscle in order to release the myofascial trigger points which are causing pain. This technique releases the body’s deepest tissues to reduce pain and improve the range of movement. The reason that “dry” feature in its name is that no fluids are injected into the body when the needle is inserted, instead it is solely the needle that produces the effect in the tissues.
How Does TDN Work?
During TDN, a solid, small filament needle is inserted into a muscle that is painfully contracted. This creates a twitch reflex that helps to break the cycle of pain. This technique decreases muscular contractions, reduces chemical irritations, improves flexibility, and decreases pain. When needles are inserted into the muscles, they also form a controlled lesion, cutting somewhere from 3000-15000 muscle fibers.
This causes the body to think of the needle as an invading body, activating its immune system in response. The cutting of the muscle fibers causes an inflammatory response to which the whole body responds, reducing inflammation not only in the affected area but across the entire system.
What can Trigger Point Dry Needling Treat?
- Back Pain
- Neck Pain
- Golfers/Tennis Elbow
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Gluteal and Hip Pain
- Knee Pain
- Tendonosis
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Chronic Pain
- Sciatica
- Athletic Performance
Princeton Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, LLC 