Dry Needling

Dry needling, also known as myofascial trigger point dry needling, is a technique adapted from acupuncture. Dry needling is sometimes also known as intramuscular stimulation (IMS). 

It involves the use of either solid filiform needles or hollow-core hypodermic needles for therapy of muscle pain, including pain related to myofascial pain syndrome.

Dry needling is mainly used to “treat” myofascial “trigger points”, but it is also used to “target” connective tissue, neural ailments, and muscular ailments. The American Physical Therapy Association defines dry needling as a technique used to treat dysfunction of skeletal muscle and connective tissue, minimise peripheral nociception (pain), and improve or regulate structural or functional damage.