15/10/2026
What is dry needling?
Have you ever had a tight, tender area in a muscle that seems to keep causing discomfort, or pain that you feel somewhere other than where the problem appears to originate?
Myofascial trigger points are sensitive areas within muscle that can be associated with local or referred pain and changes in how comfortably you move. Dry needling is one technique a physiotherapist may use when these trigger points are contributing to pain or dysfunction.
A very fine needle is inserted into the targeted muscle or trigger point. Research suggests dry needling can provide short-term reductions in pain and muscle stiffness for some people with myofascial trigger points.
Importantly, dry needling doesn’t have to be the entire treatment. Your physiotherapist will assess what may be contributing to the problem and may combine needling with exercises, movement retraining, strengthening or other physiotherapy techniques. Research in low-back myofascial pain, for example, has found benefits when dry needling is combined with other therapies.
If recurring muscle pain or tightness is affecting the way you move, speak to the team at Physio Waterfall about whether dry needling may be appropriate for you.
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