Quick definition first: Dry needling uses a thin, sterile needle (used once, then thrown away) that goes into a muscle, usually into a tight, tender spot found during your assessment. It's called "dry" because nothing is injected. The needle itself is the treatment.
It is just acupuncture with a different name
No. The needles look the same, and there's some overlap, but the thinking behind them is different.
Acupuncture works from traditional Chinese medicine and meridian theory. Dry needling works from Western anatomy and targets a specific muscle that I have just assessed and found to be part of your problem. Different reasoning, different point selection, different intent.
Both can be useful. They are not the same treatment.
It is going to hurt
Less than you are imagining. The needles are much thinner than the ones used for injections or blood tests. A lot of people barely feel it going in.
What you might feel is the twitch. When the needle finds a taut band, the muscle can respond with a quick involuntary contraction, and it is a strange sensation, a brief deep cramp that releases in a second or two. People describe it as odd rather than painful, and it is usually the moment they say that was the spot.
Some muscle soreness the next day is normal. It feels like you did a hard session at the gym. It usually settles within a day or two.
It will fix my problem
Dry needling reduces muscle tension and pain sensitivity and does open a window where you can move better than you could an hour ago. But it doesn’t tell us why the muscle became overloaded in the first place. Maybe it was a training error, weakness somewhere else in the chain, a job that keeps you in the same position for nine hours, or simply a movement habit you’ve developed over time. If we don’t address the underlying cause, the muscle will likely become tight and sensitive again. Then, three weeks later, you’re back for another treatment and we repeat the same cycle. The needling opens the door. The exercise is what helps you walk through it. And I care much more about the second part.
So I will need to come in every week
How often you come in depends on how you respond, your goals, your condition, and what else is helping. Usually a few sessions early on while pain is limiting your movement, then less needling as your own rehab exercises take over.
Is it actually safe
In trained hands, yes. Physiotherapists using dry needling complete specific postgraduate training in technique and anatomy, which matters most around the chest, neck and shoulder where the anatomy is unforgiving.
Needles are single use and go straight into a sharps container. Minor bruising is the most common side effect, occasionally a bit of light headedness on the first go, which is why I will have you lying down.
What the appointment actually looks like
- Assessment first! Needling is never the starting point. I need to know your medical history, the root of the problem and do a few tests, to know which muscle is involved.
- I explain the findings, what the rehab plan is, which muscles, get your consent and roughly how many needles. You can say no to any of it.
- You lie down. Skin is cleaned. The needle goes in, usually left in place for a short period, sometimes moved slightly to find the band.
- Needles out, counted, disposed of. This part takes a few minutes, not the whole session.
- Depending on what you need, we might use other manual therapy techniques, movement, loading, mobility work or specific exercises to help you move better and, most importantly, maintain the improvement.
Who I will not needle
Not everyone is suitable, and I'd rather say so upfront.
I will not needle through active infection, an open wound, ulcer, burn, tumour, cyst, or damaged skin. I will not needle over a limb affected by lymphoedema, or into areas linked to active cancer or cancer treatment. If you're pregnant, some points and areas are avoided as a precaution. And I will not proceed if you can't give informed consent, or simply don't want the treatment.
If you're on blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are immunocompromised, have diabetes, epilepsy, or a vascular condition, dry needling isn't automatically off the table but it changes how (or whether) I approach it, and I'll talk you through that as part of the assessment.
None of this leaves you without options. There's a great deal we can do with hands-on work, loading, and Clinical Pilates, which is where I do most of my thinking anyway.
And if you simply don't like the idea of needles, that's more than enough reason not to have them. You will not be talked into it.
That's exactly why assessment matters. Dry needling isn't one-size-fits-all, the same technique isn't appropriate for every person, condition, or body area.
Before recommending it, I need to understand your symptoms, medical history, medications, relevant health conditions, and treatment goals, and to weigh up anything that could increase risk. I also need to work out whether dry needling suits the problem at hand, whether another approach would be safer or more useful, and which areas should be avoided altogether.
Assessment comes before the needle. It's what tells me whether dry needling is appropriate, how it should be adapted for you, and when a different treatment is simply the better choice.
Worth a try if
If you have a muscle that keeps tightening up and nothing seems to shift it, dry needling is worth a conversation. Just come in expecting a plan rather than a procedure.
Book an appointment at our Elsternwick clinic, or have a look at what else we offer if you would rather start somewhere else.
