How Dry Needling Therapy Can Help Chronic Pain

Are chronic pain and muscle tension holding you back? At Pomona Valley Health Centers, our certified therapists use advanced dry needling and complementary treatments to help you find relief, restore mobility, and achieve your best possible health.

Keep reading to learn how dry needling works, its benefits for chronic pain, and how our comprehensive approach can deliver lasting results.

Understanding Dry Needling for Pain

Dry needling is a therapeutic technique that physical therapists and healthcare providers use to address muscle tension, pain, and mobility issues.

Unlike traditional acupuncture, which focuses on balancing the body’s energy flow, dry needling targets specific muscle trigger points to relieve pain and improve mobility.

At Pomona Valley Health Centers, dry needling is often paired with techniques like channel palpitation, soft tissue release, cupping, and stretching exercises to help patients recover more effectively from sports injuries, sprains, strains, headaches, chronic pain, and more.

Mechanism of Action

Dry needling for pain relief involves inserting thin needles into trigger points within muscles, tendons, or ligaments. This process stimulates the targeted areas, leading to:

• Localized contraction and twitch response
  These involuntary responses release tension and encourage muscle lengthening.
• Increased blood flow
  The needles promote circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients while removing waste and decreasing inflammation to aid recovery.
• Decreased pain signals
  Dry needling sends signals to the brain and spinal cord, which can help reset the nervous system, leading to reduced pain and improved function.

Effectiveness of Dry Needling for Chronic Pain

When used as part of a larger treatment plan dry needling can help release muscle tension and provide pain relief. Here are some of the benefits of dry needling therapy:

• Pain relief
  Dry needling helps relieve several types of pain, including headaches, back pain, neck pain, joint pain, nerve pain, and sports-related injuries.
• Improved range of motion
  This therapy helps loosen tight muscles and increase flexibility.
• Reduced muscle tension
  Targeted dry needling therapy helps relax muscles and reduce stress, which is beneficial for those suffering from chronic anxiety or depression.
• Increased blood flow
  Increased blood flow, resulting from dry needling therapy, can help speed the healing process and reduce inflammation.

Applications in Chronic Pain Management

Musculoskeletal Pain

Using dry needling for pain is safe and effective for treating several musculoskeletal conditions, such as:

• Shoulder pain.
• Rotator cuff pain.
• Biceps tendinitis.
• Achilles tendinitis.
• Lower back pain.
• Tennis elbow.
• Whiplash,
• Neck pain and headaches.
• Muscle strains and sprains.
• Hip pain.
• Temporomandibular (TMJ) pain.
• Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome.

Trigger Points

Trigger points are hypersensitive areas within muscles that can cause sharp, shooting, or cramping pain when pressed. They often restrict movement and limit muscular function, resulting in prolonged muscle tightness, inflammation, or reduced blood flow.

Dry needling is a safe and effective method for relieving trigger points, restoring function, and treating chronic pain. 

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Effects

Short-term effects of dry needling

• Reduced muscle tightness.
• Immediate pain relief.
• Improved function and range of motion.
• Increased blood flow to the treated area.
• Temporary muscle soreness (usually lasting 2-3 days after treatment).

Long-term effects of dry needling

• Enhanced mobility and movement.
• Decreased trigger point sensitivity.
• Sustained pain relief for chronic conditions.
• Reduced reliance on pain medications.

Combination With Other Treatments

At Pomona Valley Health Centers, our certified therapists and healthcare providers combine dry needling for nerve pain and muscle pain with one or more of the following treatments to provide a custom and comprehensive approach to pain management:

• Physical therapy
  Strengthening and stretching exercises to improve muscle balance and function.
• Massage
  • Manual therapy to release tension and improve mobility.
  • Active Release Technique (ART) to address scar tissue and adhesions.
• Acupuncture
  Targeting specific meridian points (acupoints) to regulate blood circulation and focus on pain relief and relaxation. These may include the lungs, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, etc.
• Electrical stimulation
  Stimulating deeper muscle fibers and nerve pathways to disrupt pain signals to the brain and increase blood flow to the targeted area.

Safety and Considerations

While dry needling for pain is generally safe, it may cause mild side effects and is not suitable for everyone. Those with certain medical conditions or risk factors (e.g., bleeding disorders, compromised immune systems, or a fear of needles) may not be ideal candidates.

It is essential to seek treatment for chronic pain from a trained and certified therapist. Dry needling is an invasive procedure that requires specialized knowledge of anatomy, trigger points, and proper needle insertion techniques to ensure safe and effective treatment.

Visit PVHC Today

Are you struggling with chronic pain, muscle tension, or mobility issues? Pomona Valley Health Centers offers certified dry needling, occupational medicine, and comprehensive health services to help you feel your best. Our compassionate team understands how limiting chronic pain can be and is dedicated to helping you achieve optimal health with proven treatments.

Take the first step toward a healthier you—find a location near you or visit your nearest urgent care center.