Dry Needling

Dry Needling

Dry needling is a specialized, minimally invasive treatment technique used by physical therapists to treat musculoskeletal pain, injury, and movement dysfunction. Thin, sterile needles are used to stimulate targeted tissues to reduce pain, calm overactive muscles, improve movement quality, increase blood flow, and support healing.

Pain and movement dysfunction are not always caused by tissue damage alone. Often, the nervous system becomes overly protective, causing muscles and surrounding tissues to remain tense and guarded. Dry needling helps “reset” this response by influencing both the tissue and the nervous system.

Key Benefits

Pain Reduction: Dry needling helps calm sensitized nerves and reduce excessive pain signaling, helping movement feel easier and less painful.

Improved Mobility and Movement Quality: By improving communication between the nervous system and tissue, dry needling can help restore more efficient movement, mobility, and muscle control.

Physiologic Effects That Support Healing: Dry needling increases local blood flow and stimulates the body’s natural healing response, supporting tissue repair and recovery.

Trigger Point Release: Dry needling helps treat trigger points, which are hyperirritable areas within muscle that remain excessively tight and sensitive. These areas can contribute to pain, tension, and altered movement patterns.

What to Expect

Very thin, sterile needles are inserted into the targeted tissue based on the goals of treatment. Depending on the technique, the needles may be gently moved or left in place for several minutes. In some cases, electrical stimulation may be added to enhance the therapeutic effect. Most patients describe the treatment as very tolerable, though temporary muscle soreness afterward is common.

Dry Needling at High Road Physical Therapy

Dry needling is one of many tools we use to help reduce pain, restore movement, and support recovery so you can continue doing the activities you enjoy.

A physical therapy evaluation is required prior to scheduling a stand-alone dry needling session. Dry needling can also be performed during the evaluation.

COST: Dry needling can be added to a 60-minute physical therapy session for an additional $10, or scheduled as a dedicated 30-minute dry needling session ($100).