The Difference Between Dry-Needling and Acupuncture

Today we'll be talking a little bit about dry needling, why we offer dry needling and some of the benefits.

One question that we commonly get is: "How is dry needling different than acupuncture?"

The needles we use for dry needling are very small. They're not like hypodermic needles. We call them mono-filament, which means that the needle isn't hollow, and it's flexible because it's so small. Because the needle is so small, it generally doesn't hurt as much as a hypodermic needle that you usually get an injection with.

The benefit to dry needling is that we can target tissues that are underneath. Often, we as physical therapists are trying to get to deep tissues, or points that are sensitive, which are underneath thick layers of tissue. The needle allows us to get to those.

These are actually the same needles that acupuncturists generally use. The difference between dry needling and acupuncture is the philosophy behind it. We are targeting specific anatomical structures. We know what structures we're going for and that we want to affect changes in.

In typical acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is used to try altering what they'll call "Qi" or energy flow. That's not the same philosophy that we're using. We're trying to get to trigger points in a muscle or muscular tendinous junctions where muscle and tendon and bone are meeting, targeting them specifically. Whereas an acupuncturist might be using needles in your shoulder, your elbow, your hand, your foot, all over the body to alter energy flow.

Some of the techniques we use frequently are for lateral epicondylitis, more commonly known as tennis elbow. We find the point we call the common extensor tendon, where a bunch of muscles meet together to form one tendon that attaches near the elbow.

Some people have a hard time getting injections but have no difficulty with acupuncture or dry needling because the needles are so much smaller.

Some of the effects after dry needling are pain reduction. During the dry needling, sometimes it can be a little uncomfortable to work sensitive spots, but generally after dry needling, you'll get some pain relief. Sometimes people will feel fatigued in the muscles, as if they've done a workout, maybe for a day or two afterward. Those are the general long-term effects of dry needling.

If you'd like to learn more about dry needling and how it can help you, contact us for more information.