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Dry needling is a skilled intervention that uses a thin filiform needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscular, and connective tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments.

 

Dry needling (DN) is a technique used to treat dysfunctions in skeletal muscle, fascia, and connective tissue, and diminish persistent peripheral nociceptive input, and reduce or restore impairments of body structure and function leading to improved activity and participation.

 

The physiological basis for DN depends upon the targeted tissue and treatment objectives. The treatment of myofascial trigger points (referred to as TrPs) has a different physiological basis than treatment of excessive muscle tension, scar tissue, fascia, and connective tissues.

 

TrPs are hyperirritable spots within a taut band of contractured skeletal muscle fibers that produce local and/or referred pain when stimulated. TrPs are divided into active and latent TrPs dependent upon the degree of irritability. Active TrPs are spontaneously painful, while latent TrPs are only painful when stimula.

 

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