What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a technique that involves inserting a very thin sterile needle into a trigger point, which is a tight band within a muscle that can cause pain and tension. The needle's length is determined by the muscle's depth. The primary aim of trigger point dry needling is to provoke a twitch response, leading to a sudden contraction followed by relaxation of the muscle. This process alleviates tightness, enhancing the muscle's ability to contract and relax efficiently, ultimately improving its strength for better joint stabilization and movement. In contrast to acupuncture, which keeps needles in place for longer periods, dry needling focuses on identifying the trigger point and utilizes a "pistoning" technique where the needle is moved. This action triggers a series of twitches from the trigger point and nearby nerves, promoting muscle recovery.
Trigger Point Dry Needling is highly effective for alleviating pelvic floor pain.
The muscles contributing to pelvic floor discomfort include the pelvic floor muscles themselves, the abdominals, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and deep hip external rotators like the piriformis and internal rotators such as the Tensor Fascia Lata (TFL), iliotibial band (IT band), and adductors. Dry Needling specifically targets trigger points that may lie deep within the muscle tissue, promoting muscle relaxation and pain relief.