Liz Dudenhofer
Doctor of Physical Therapy, Personal Trainer
Dry Needling
What is it and why should I try it?
Starting in February, 2025!
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Dry needling is a technique physical therapists use to treat pain and movement impairments. The physical therapist inserts a "dry" needle (NO medication or injection) into areas of the muscle, chemicals are released in your body to help decrease your pain. After the dry needling treatment, you can work with your PT on re-sequencing the muscle fibers, similar to a complete reset of your muscle.
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Dry needling is not acupuncture. Acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine and can only be performed by Acupuncturists.
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Dry needling is modern Western medicine focused on the muscle/nerve pathways and is supported by evidence-based research.
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Click here for more research: Dry Needling Articles
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Why Dry Needling?
Dry Needling relieves pain, improves range of motion, and helps connect the neurologic pathways in your body. Research suggests that dry needling can also improve pain control, reduce muscle tension, and help with the way our nerves interact with our muscles. This can help speed up a person’s ability to heal.
Physical therapists who perform dry needling in WA state must obtain over 225 hours of additional classwork and live exams (post-graduation).
Liz has taken several courses from Kinectcore and Spinal Manipulation Institute.
FAQ for Dry Needling
​WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT?
The needles are only part of the treatment session. After performing a functional movement assessment and seeing the restrictions, we will focus on those specific muscles for a trigger point release. You will likely only feel an "ache" or muscle twitch once the needle is in the muscle. This is a GOOD SIGN as that means it is releasing the tension in the restricted area. We will then perform mobility exercises with your new range of motion and finish off with exercises for proper muscle sequencing.
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WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT TO FEEL AFTER THE DRY NEEDLING?
You’ll likely see and feel results immediately or within the first few visits. You will be sore (as if you just worked out for several hours) for several hours after. However, the next morning, you should feel less pain and restriction, and we will continue to stack on those positive results.
Full recovery depends on the type of injury, chronic pain, or preventative care, and we’ll work together to achieve your goals.
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PLEASE WORK OUT BEFORE YOUR DRY NEEDLING SESSION. After the dry needling, you will not be able to complete a workout due to the risk of further injuring the muscle. (It is best to rest 24 hours after the needles).​
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