
- Drink plenty of water. It’s important to stay hydrated in the days following dry needling treatment. Hydration is another way to avoid or reduce sore muscles from your session.
- Exercise. Stretch, work out and continue your activities — as long as your pain doesn’t return when you do. ...
- Massage your muscles. Massage is another trigger point therapy used by physical therapists. ...
What type of problems can be treated with dry needling?
What Types of problems can be treated Continued from page one:
- Such conditions include, but are not limited to:
- neck/back/shoulder pain
- tennis elbow
- carpal tunnel
- golfer’s elbow
- tension headaches and migraines
- jaw pain
- sciatica
- hamstring strains
- calf tightness/spasms
What is dry needling and how can it help me?
What You Should Know Before Getting Dry Needling
- Does dry needling hurt?
- How many needles are inserted?
- What are the side effects and risks of dry needling?
- Who practices dry needling?
- How do I find a professional who practices dry needling near me?
- Is dry needling covered by insurance?
- What are other ways therapists may treat my pain?
- What are other ways I can treat my pain?
What are the risks and adverse effects from dry needling?
- Prolonged pain at site
- Extensive bruising
- Profuse sweating
- Severe nausea
- Vomiting
- Fainting
- Headaches
- Extreme fatigue
- Severe emotional reaction
- Gastrointestinal disturbance
Does dry needling really work?
Dry needling is actually great for athletes, O'Neill says, but it can help with all kinds of muscular pain and injuries. "Some injuries that tend to do quite well with dry needling include chronic upper trapezius strains, runner's knee and ITB syndrome, shoulder impingement, generalized low back pain, shin splints, and other muscle strains and spasms," she notes.

How long should you rest after dry needling?
The muscle will feel fatigued, and the soreness can last from a few hours to 1 or 2 days, but should not interfere with your everyday activities. We encourage you to be active during this time to keep the soreness to a minimum. You can continue your normal activities and gym routine.
Should you rest after dry needling?
After the Procedure Following a dry-needling session, it is important to keep hydrated and drink extra water. If you experience muscle soreness in the hours after a treatment session, your provider may recommend rest, heat or ice therapy, a warm bath with Epsom salts, or other at-home therapies.
Should you ice or heat after dry needling?
In general, I suggest using ice for acute injuries, following surgery, and for inflammatory diseases, while I recommend applying heat for muscle pain, neck and back pain, headaches, post-exercise muscle soreness, and after dry needling.
Should I use ice after dry needling?
Use ice to help decrease the bruising and if you feel concern please call your provider. It is common to feel tired, nauseous, emotional, giggly or “loopy”, and/or somewhat “out of it” after treatment. This is a normal response that can last up to an hour or two after treatment.
Why am I so sore after dry needling?
Dry needling has been recommended for relieving MTrP pain. MTrP dry needling procedures have shown to be associated with post-needling soreness, which is thought to be a consequence of the neuromuscular damage, and hemorrhagic and inflammatory reaction generated by the needle.
Can dry needling make things worse?
Some uncommon, sub-1% adverse effects included aggravation of symptoms, headache, nausea, shaking, itching, and numbness. “Aggravation of symptoms” is one of the most important considerations from the patient perspective (and the least likely to be known/reported by practitioners).
What are the side effects of dry needling?
Examples of minor adverse reactions that can occur during dry needling are bleeding, bruising, and pain during or after treatment.
Is dry needling worth it?
Most of the existing research for dry needling supports the practice for relieving mild to moderate pain. In some studies, dry needling provided more relief than a placebo treatment. However, one study showed that dry needling is no more effective than stretching alone to relieve muscle pain.
What Not to Do after a Dry Needle Treatment
Many people undergo dry needling therapy for the ultimate goal of achieving relaxation. This treatment works by using a filament needle inserted and aimed at various trigger points in the muscles, causing a twitch response.
1. Do Not Use Cold Treatments for the Soreness
It’s common to feel a little sore after a dry needling treatment or have some light bruising. Although you may be tempted to use ice to ease any soreness, we highly recommend that you not use ice to address this, and use heat instead. However, if you want to specifically address any bruising, then some short-term icing in the area is acceptable.
2. Do Not Overwork Yourself
You may be tempted to start stretching and working out immediately after dry needling, especially if you have already set up a routine for it. In some cases, this is acceptable, as some form of exercise and stretching can help alleviate residual soreness and improve the recovery process.
3. Do Not Drink Alcohol
After a dry needle treatment, you’ll want to avoid drinking any alcohol because it makes you dehydrated. Keep in mind that dehydration can worsen soreness and other symptoms you may have after dry needling therapy. As such, we highly recommend that you drink plenty of water instead.
Work with a Certified Dry Needling Practitioner
Dry needle therapy may seem a little frightening for first-timers, and you can make the post-treatment experience more difficult if you don’t follow precautions.
Needle Treatment in Jacksonville
Are you looking for dry needling treatment in Jacksonville, FL? Dry Needle Pain Relief is here to offer you the treatments you need to improve your everyday life. Schedule an appointment with us today!
How to get rid of sores after dry needling?
Pressing your fingers or hand directly over the sore spot and rubbing in a circular motion can be quite effective for reducing the aching and discomfort following any dry needling into the area.
Can a heat pad help with sore muscles?
A heating pad can feel quite nice if you find your muscle (s) to feel achy after getting the ol’ dry needling treatment. Simply draping it over the sore area can feel nice (left image) and if you want a bit more pain relief, using compression with the heat pad can feel even better (right image)!
Can dry needling cause muscle soreness?
Not everyone experiences muscle soreness or aching after dry needling. When it is experienced, however, it can be a bit annoying or unnerving since it may not seem at first like the needing has helped at all. Thankfully most people who do experience soreness or tenderness from dry needling only experience it for up to a few hours after the treatment; it is quite transient and dissipates rather quickly.
Why do we need to dry needling?
Dry needling is used to increase range of motion that may be limited due to muscle tightness or scar tissue. Dry needling may also treat: Jaw and mouth problems (such as temporomandibular joint disorders or TMD) Repetitive motion disorders (like carpal tunnel syndrome)
What kind of pain does dry needling treat?
Dry needling is used to increase range of motion that may be limited due to muscle tightness or scar tissue.
How long does a needle stay in a muscle?
Shorter periods of time would mean that needle would stay in the muscle for seconds, while longer periods could mean 10 to 15 minutes.
Why do we need needles?
The needles are used to stimulate the tissue, not to inject medication. Pain affects how your body moves. It is thought that dry needling changes the way the brain and muscles talk to each other to let the system return to a more normal movement pattern.
How long does skin needling last?
This should last no longer than a day or two. Three to five days after your Skin Needling procedure you may notice that your skin becomes a little dry and flaky. This is a completely normal process due to the dead skin cells being stimulated upwards. Avoid picking the skin and apply moisturiser 2-3 times per day.
How long does it take for skin to be sensitive to the sun after skin needling?
Your skin will be much more sensitive to the sun for several weeks after your Skin Needling treatment. To prevent adverse effects, you must stay out of the sun at all times.
What happens if you sweat during skin needling?
If you sweat or partake in any activities that make you hot, it will create further unwanted heat in the skin. It may also allow bacteria to penetrate the skin. This can lead to infection, extended redness or an adverse skin reaction.
How long does it take for skin to feel warm after a skin numbing?
Your skin may feel warm to touch immediately after your procedure and 3-5 days later become a little dry and flaky. This is a completely normal process due to the dead skin cells being stimulated upwards. Once this process is finished, your skin will feel softer and look radiant. Following your Skin Needling treatment, ...
How to reduce redness and inflammation?
Apply a Cooling Face Mask. You may experience some skin irritation following skin needling, therefore we recommend the use of a cooling face mask to reduce inflammation and redness, and to make your skin feel more comfortable.
How to keep skin from flaking?
Use a Gentle Cleanser. In place of active products a very mild cleanser and barrier cream is recommended to keep your skin clean and soothe any resultant dry skin and flakiness. We can advise on the best kinds of cleansers, moisturisers and healing products to use to avoid irritation.
Do you drink water after laser?
At Australian Laser & Skin Clinics we always recommend that you drink plenty of water both before and after the procedure. Keeping well hydrated will assist in faster healing and skin rejuvenation.
How to heal sore muscles after dry needling?
In addition to sore muscles, you may need to help your muscles heal and restore their function. Your physical therapist may recommend that you: Drink plenty of water. It’s important to stay hydrated in the days following dry needling treatment. Hydration is another way to avoid or reduce sore muscles from your session.
How long does it take for dry needling to heal?
Soreness is common after a dry needling session. It’s similar to how you feel sore after strength training. Most often, the soreness resolves within 24 hours. You can help reduce it with ice, heat and gentle stretching. In addition to sore muscles, you may need to help your muscles heal and restore their function.
What is dry needling?
At its core, dry needling is a treatment to get rid of trigger points — the knots in your muscles that cause you pain. There are other forms of trigger point therapy that use massage or tools to press on your tissue. Dry needling uses tiny filiform needles precisely placed in your muscular and connective tissues to stimulate ...
How to heal a sore muscle?
In addition to sore muscles, you may need to help your muscles heal and restore their function. Your physical therapist may recommend that you: 1 Drink plenty of water. It’s important to stay hydrated in the days following dry needling treatment. Hydration is another way to avoid or reduce sore muscles from your session. 2 Exercise. Stretch, work out and continue your activities — as long as your pain doesn’t return when you do. Follow the rehab program prescribed by your physical therapist to improve your injury or condition. 3 Massage your muscles. Massage is another trigger point therapy used by physical therapists. Give your taut muscles a gentle massage to continue stimulating the tissues to help resolve the soreness and pain.
How to stop sore muscles from a physical therapy session?
Hydration is another way to avoid or reduce sore muscles from your session. Exercise. Stretch, work out and continue your activities — as long as your pain doesn’t return when you do. Follow the rehab program prescribed by your physical therapist to improve your injury or condition. Massage your muscles.
Why is acupuncture used for pain?
Acupuncture was developed on the idea that illness or pain occurs when the body's vital energy cannot flow freely. So needles are placed at precise points along these interconnected pathways that map the whole body, including your head, trunk and limbs.
Is dry needling a new therapy?
Dry needling isn’t new to physical therapy, but it is relatively new to Iowa. The technique was passed as an approved treatment in 2016 to help patients find pain relief. So, what is it and how can it help you? Tony Moore, PT, DPT, a certified manual physical therapist and certified manual trigger point therapist at The Iowa Clinic, ...
What is dry needling?
Dry needling, often referred to as IMS (Intra Muscular Stimulation) is a therapeutic treatment technique that many healthcare professionals use as a means to decrease muscle tension, reduce or eliminate trigger points and help restore mobility to otherwise tight muscles. However, if you find yourself wondering if you can workout right ...
How long does it take for a muscle to be tight before IMS?
How long the muscle/area has been tight before receiving IMS treatment. Tissues that have been chronically tight (typically greater than three months) tend to be more sensitive to IMS treatment than muscles that have only been tight for a shorter period of time.
How does tape help with nociception?
This can essentially distract your brain from perceiving some of the aching/tenderness since the brain focuses on the sensation of the tape on the skin instead.
Is it normal to feel sore after IMS?
And keep in mind that not everyone gets sore after IMS treatment.
Is dry needling a physical therapy?
Dry needling can be an incredibly therapeut ic adjunct when it comes to alleviating muscle tension and discomfort, however there are some factors to be aware of if you want to try and do any sort of physical activity shortly after receiving the treatment. Image: 123RF. If you’re interested in learning the specific factors you should keep in mind ...
Is IMS a safe treatment?
While IMS is a rather safe treatment intervention, localized muscle soreness and fatigue are a common (but short-lived) side effect. The extent of these side effects occurring will depend on a number of different factors. Image: 123RF.

Article Overview
Why Do We Get Sore Afterdry Needling?
- The sore, aching feeling that we can experience after having our muscles released from dry needling is likely due to the excessive amounts of fatigue that the treated muscles undergo once a twitch response has been elicited from the muscle by the filament/needle. The greater the twitch response the greater amount of fatigue that the muscle tends to experience. Thankfully, t…
Constant Movement Decreases Soreness
- One of the best things to do when it comes to decreasing post-needling soreness is to simply perform gentle, pain-free movements on a regular basis for the area that was needled. Doing this for the first hour or so can help decrease aching and discomfort much more than keeping the area still and motionless. This discomfort-reducing movement phenomenon is largely due to the treat…
Concluding Remarks
- Not everyone experiences muscle soreness or aching after dry needling. When it is experienced, however, it can be a bit annoying or unnerving since it may not seem at first like the needing has helped at all. Thankfully most people who do experience soreness or tenderness from dry needling only experience it for up to a few hours after the treatment; it is quite transient and diss…