What a trigger point is and why it hurts
A trigger point is precisely defined: a hypersensitive spot within a muscle fibre that’s painful under pressure and refers pain to another part of the body. This is called referred pain, and it can confuse both the patient and the doctor — the pain is felt in one place, while the cause is somewhere else.
A classic example: spasm in the trapezius muscle causes a headache at the temple. Or spasm in the glutes that mimics sciatica down the leg. Dry needling directly targets those points with thin needles and “resets” a muscle that’s stuck in chronic contraction.
Symptoms dry needling is effective for
- Neck pain that spreads toward the shoulder, shoulder blade or head
- Trapezius tension that doesn’t ease up with massage or stretching
- Tension-type headaches caused by muscle spasm in the neck and the back of the head
- Shoulder pain and weakness with no clear structural change on an MRI
- Pain or tingling down the arm caused by muscular pressure on a nerve (as opposed to a true herniated disc)
- Piriformis syndrome — pain in the glutes that resembles sciatica but comes from the muscle, not the spine
The difference between dry needling and acupuncture
Dry needling is based purely on anatomy and musculoskeletal physiology. We target specific muscles based on assessment and palpation — locating painful points by hand. There’s no energy system or meridians — just precise clinical judgement of which muscle is holding the tension and why.
The same thin needles used in acupuncture are used here, but the similarity ends there.
What you feel during the treatment
The needle insertion is minimal — the needle is thinner than an injection needle. When the needle reaches the trigger point, you feel a characteristic deep tightening or muscle twitch. This is the so-called twitch response, which confirms we’ve hit the right spot and that the muscle is “letting go” of the spasm.
Afterwards, the muscle may be mildly sore for 24–48 hours, similar to after an intense workout. That feeling is normal and passes. Dry needling is almost always done in combination with manual therapy and an exercise protocol that prevents the spasm from returning.