Dry Needling
A Game-Changer for Neck Pain
Imagine a technique that can target your musculoskeletal pain with pinpoint accuracy, increase blood flow, and reduce muscle tightness—all with a simple needle.
Welcome to the world of dry needling, a physical therapy method that’s making waves in pain management. With neck pain ranking as the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide, this technique offers a beacon of hope for many sufferers (Cohen, 2015).
Dive into this research to discover how dry needling is revolutionizing physical therapy.
Introduction
Foremost, let me define dry needling for those of my readers who are new to this technique. Dry needling is an advanced technique in physical therapy that utilizes a solid filament needle to target musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction (Dommerholt & Fernández-de-las-Peñas, 2018).
This method increases blood flow, alleviates local and referred pain, and reduces muscle tightness (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). Dry needling requires expert training and certification.
Purpose and Method
This research explores how effective dry needling is in reducing neck pain and provides information for you to decide if you want to include this technique in your physical therapy sessions. In short, can dry needling relieve neck pain?
I focused on recent research, considering only studies from the last ten years to review their statistical and clinical significance.
Results
Research indicates that dry needling helps reduce neck pain. Here are some of the findings of the studies reviewed:
Arias-Buría et al. (2020): One session of dry needling in the anterior scalene (a neck muscle) effectively reduced neck pain compared to manual pressure alone.
Gallego-Sendarrubias et al. (2020): Combining dry needling with manual therapy worked better than manual therapy alone.
Valera-Calero et al. (2023): Dry needling provided immediate pain relief at both regular and trigger points, while sham dry needling only quickly affected trigger points.
Valiente-Castrillo et al. (2021): Dry needling, whether alone or with pain neuroscience education, effectively improved neck pain.
Conclusion: Embrace the Future of Pain Relief
Dry needling isn’t just another tool in the physical therapy toolkit—it’s a game-changer. With proven effectiveness in alleviating neck pain, especially when combined with other therapeutic modalities, it’s time to consider incorporating this technique into your treatment plan. Don’t let neck pain hold you back any longer.
Ask about dry needling at Tactica Physical Therapy & Wellness and take the first step towards a pain-free life today!