When you have neck pain, the muscles in your neck are often painful to the touch. These painful areas can limit your daily activities and movement. Dry needling, also called trigger point dry needling, is a treatment that involves pushing a very thin needle through the skin to stimulate a trigger point. The needle may relax the tight muscle bands associated with trigger points. (Trigger points are irritable, hard “knots” that may cause pain over a large area) As a result, dry needling may be helpful in decreasing pain and increasing motion for patients with neck pain. In a study published in the April 2014 issue of JOSPT, a group of researchers measured the benefits of dry needling for patients with neck pain.
The researchers studied 17 patients. All patients’ neck pain began within 7 days of the start of the study. Half of the patients received trigger point dry needling treatment, and the other half received no treatment. The patients who received the dry needling had better results. Immediately after the treatment, their pain decreased by 33%. One week after the treatment, their pain was 66% less. Also, those patients treated with dry needling were better able to bend their heads forward and backward and to turn their heads toward the painful side of their necks.
In the short term, the findings of this study suggest that a single treatment of dry needling can decrease pain and improve motion. Dry needling is typically combined with other treatments, including exercises to further lessen pain and improve motion and the ability to perform daily activities. Your physical therapist can give you a thorough evaluation to help determine if you are a good candidate for this treatment as part of a program designed to reduce your pain and improve your function. For more information on the treatment of neck pain, contact your physical therapist specializing in musculoskeletal disorders.