What is dry needling and how does it differ from acupuncture?

The trigger point is first located by manual examination. The taut band within the muscle is identified with the fingers and the needle directed into it.

When the needle reaches the right point a brief, involuntary twitch can occur in the muscle. This 'local twitch response' indicates the technique has reached its target.

The needle is left briefly or moved back and forth a few times. Two to four points are usually treated per session; not every painful area is targeted at once.

The two share only the use of a needle. Dry needling rests on Western anatomy and muscle physiology; the target is a trigger point found on examination.

Acupuncture rests on the concept of energy channels in traditional Chinese medicine, and points are selected from that map. Muscle examination is not part of that selection.

Depth and purpose also differ. In dry needling the needle goes deep enough to reach the band within a specific muscle; the target is anatomically defined.

The needle is thought to relax the muscle by mechanically stimulating the taut band. Measurable reductions in muscle tension after a local twitch response have been demonstrated.

The application increases local blood flow and supports clearance of chemical mediators accumulated in the painful area.

It is also thought to alter pain perception through the nervous system. The full mechanism is not explained, while the clinical effect is measurable.