So what's the deal with "dry needling"?

A diagram of the trigger points of the levator scapula muscle

Acupuncture is growing in popularity because well, it works! It is so effective at treating pain that many physical therapists are now using acupuncture needles to release trigger points (aka painful knotted muscles) and they’re calling it “dry needling”. You’ve probably heard of it. I met a physical therapist recently who told me, “oh yeah, I practice dry needling. But you know, it’s not acupuncture”. Well actually, it is acupuncture – with insufficient training. The viewpoint of many physical therapists is that acupuncturists use the ancient theory of Chinese medicine and utilize points along meridians to treat internal imbalances (true); while “dry needling” only uses acupuncture needles to treat the musculoskeletal system. So the argument is that since “dry needling” practitioners do not use the traditional meridians, then it is not acupuncture. Wrong. Acupuncturists often release trigger points and treat the local area of pain to improve the function of the musculoskeletal & nervous system. The truth is, physical therapists are practicing a form of acupuncture with a minimal amount of training and giving it a different name. Acupuncturists go to school for four years and have extensive training on needle technique and the proper needling depths and angles on different areas of the body. On the other hand, many physical therapists are learning how to practice acupuncture over a weekend seminar. This has resulted in an unsafe practice and has led to various injuries to patients including nerve damage, injury to organs, and pneumothorax (collapsed lung). The moral of the story: if you have pain and you’re interested in trigger point therapy, visit a licensed acupuncturist and avoid “dry needling” from physical therapists! This is a great article that explains more about “dry needling”. I highly suggest reading it to further educate yourself, especially if your PT has ever suggested “dry needling” to you.
 
http://acupuncturewisconsin.org/dry-needling-10-facts-you-should-know-2/
 
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we would be happy to talk with you!