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Dry Needling

  • Dry Needling
Home Point Performance Services Point Performance Therapy Services Dry Needling
Joanna Bakos dry needling

A Point Performance therapist applies dry needling to a calf injured during marathon training.

Ever experience muscle tightness that’s so bad it can’t even be relieved by vigorous massage? In comes dry needling, a procedure that can help release some of the tightness and the knots, and provide immediate relief.

When your muscles are experiencing pain or soreness, they form tight bands that, upon light massage or touch, can cause pain in related areas. These tight bands, also known as trigger points, are caused by exercise, repetitive movement, or stress.

Dry needling involves the use of a fine, sterile needle, without any medication (hence “dry”), inserted into the underlying myofascial trigger point, causing the muscle to twitch, and then relax. The procedure may cause increased blood flow to the region, and cause nerve ending responses that change pain perception. Practitioners wear gloves when handling needles.

Dry needling, also known as trigger point dry needling and intramuscular manual therapy, is not to be confused with acupuncture, though the needles are similar. Acupuncture is rooted in ancient Chinese medicine and involves the flow of one’s energy, or qi, through the whole body, while dry needling focuses on the one area and is not part of Chinese medicine. Physical therapists are required to take courses in dry needling before being allowed to administer the practice on patients.

There is a small amount of pain, but many say the pain is worth the relief experienced afterwards. After the procedure, the muscles are much smoother due to lack of trigger points, and there’s less tension. The patient may feel sore immediately after the procedure and for several hours after, but the pain will be far less the next day. The patient may repeat the procedure at different sessions.

Dry needling has brought much pain relief to many people, from those with chronic back pain to weekend warriors. Some runners who suffered from tremendous leg pain were able to complete entire marathons within a couple weeks of treatment. Dry needling should not be the only aspect in a physical therapy plan, however. It’s important to include exercises and other manual therapy to get at the root of the problem that’s causing the pain in the first place.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

301.493.8884
Dr. Mark D. Klaiman, MD
Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm

Physical Therapy

301.244.9099
Dr. Haim S. Hechtman, DPT
Monday – Thursday 7am – 7pm
Friday 7am – 5pm,
Saturday 8am – 1pm

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What Patients Say

“When I learned that my two favorite practitioners—who gave me back a normal, pain-free life—were joining their practices I thought, what a winner…..”

– Jane Stanley

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Physical Medicine And Rehabilitation

Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm

301.493.8884

Physical Therapy

Monday - Thursday 7am - 7pm
Friday 7am - 5pm, Saturday 8am - 1pm

301.244.9099

Our Offices

6400 Goldsboro Road, Suite 340
Bethesda, MD 20817

ppminfo@pointperformance.com

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Practice Overview
    • Dr. Haim S. Hechtman, DPT, Point Performance Co-founder
    • Dr. Mark D. Klaiman, MD, Point Performance Co-founder
    • Point Performance Team
    • Testimonials
    • Careers
      • Careers: Physical Therapist
      • Online Application
  • Services
    • Areas of Treatment
      • Neck and Back
      • Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist and Hand Pain
      • Hip, Knee, Ankle and Foot
      • Arthritis and Neurological Conditions
      • Chronic Pain
    • Point Performance Medicine
      • Spine Care
        • Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection for Lower Back & Leg Pain
        • Lumbar Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Lower Back Pain
        • Sacroiliac Joint Injection for Low Back & Buttock Pain
      • Sports Medicine
      • Orthobiologics
      • Advanced Minimally Invasive Procedures
      • Nerve Conduction and EMG Testing
      • Medical Acupuncture: How Does It Work?
    • Point Performance Therapy Services
    • Medical Personal Training
    • Health Coaching
    • Point Yoga
  • Patients
    • New Patients
    • Privacy Policy
    • New Patient Forms
    • Payment
    • Physical Medicine Patient Portal
    • Physical Therapy Patient Portal
  • Blog
  • Contact
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