Dry Needling

Physical therapists use advanced dry needling techniques to target painful trigger points and promote healing throughout your body. Holsman Physical Therapy has 17 locations throughout New Jersey and New York City, where their team offers specialized dry needling services as part of a comprehensive muscle recovery and pain management approach. Call Holsman Physical Therapy today or schedule a consultation online to learn more about the benefits of dry needling.

What is dry needling?

Dry needling involves inserting very thin, sterile needles into specific parts of your muscles. While it sounds similar to acupuncture, dry needling focuses on reducing pain, releasing tension, and improving function by targeting trigger points rather than improving the body’s energy flow.

Trigger points are highly sensitive, inflamed areas where the tissues have become knotted and tender. Sometimes, trigger points are near your pain’s location, but they often cause referred pain that affects a seemingly unrelated part of your body.

Dry needling helps release knotted tissues and muscle tension, promoting relaxation and improving flexibility. It also:

• Increases blood circulation
• Enhances nutrient delivery
• Aids waste removal
• Supports tissue healing
• Optimizes injury and surgery recovery
• Promotes tissue regeneration

As part of your comprehensive treatment strategy, dry needling boosts the effectiveness of your physical therapy exercises and rehabilitation.

What can dry needling treat?

Dry needling can be a beneficial treatment for numerous conditions, including:

• Sports injuries
• Muscle strains
• Tendinitis
• Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
• Sciatica
• Plantar fasciitis (heel pain)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist pain and numbness)
• Fibromyalgia
• Joint pain
• Migraines and tension headaches
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
• Whiplash
• Pelvic pain

Before recommending treatment, the Holsman Physical Therapy team’s experts review your symptoms and evaluate your condition to verify whether dry needling suits you.

What happens during a dry needling session?

During your dry needling session, Holsman Physical Therapy’s experienced therapist identifies your trigger points by feeling the affected areas. After they locate a trigger point, they insert a thin needle to stimulate the tissue, resulting in a brief muscle spasm called a localized twitch response.

Dry needling may be superficial, where your provider inserts the needle into the subcutaneous tissue below your skin. Or they may use a deep technique where they insert the needle through the subcutaneous tissue into your muscle, penetrating the trigger point.

Your therapist might leave the needle in place between two seconds and 20 minutes. Alternatively, they may also use the pistoning or in-and-out technique, quickly moving the needle up and down.

A dry needling session generally lasts 15-30 minutes, depending on how many trigger points require treatment and your therapist’s technique. They’ll likely recommend self-care techniques, stretches, and/or exercises for you to complete at home to maximize dry needling’s benefits.

Call Holsman Physical Therapy or schedule a consultation online today to benefit from dry needling’s ability to heal muscles and relieve pain. The practice has convenient locations in Lyndhurst, Fair Lawn, Cedar Grove, Caldwell, Bloomfield, Maplewood, Newark, South Orange, Clifton, Paterson, Kearney, Jersey City, and Rahway, New Jersey, and the Crotona and Van Nest neighborhoods in the Bronx and the Cypress Hills neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.