Dry Needling 101: What It Is, What It Feels Like, and Who It's For
Dry needling is probably the service I get asked the most questions about, usually starting with some version of "wait, you're putting needles in me?" So let's actually walk through it.
What it is
Dry needling uses a thin, solid filiform needle inserted into muscle tissue. It's rooted in Western anatomy and neuromuscular science, not the same framework as traditional acupuncture, even though the needles themselves look similar. Instead of placing needles into the skin, I treat the areas of pain and help decrease pain via your body’s natural neurophysiology.
What it actually feels like
Most people expect it to feel like a shot. It doesn't, because the needle is solid and hair-thin, not hollow like an injection needle. You usually won't feel it go in. What you will feel, once it hits the trigger point, is often described as a deep ache or a brief cramping sensation. That's what's called a "twitch response," which is the muscle involuntarily contracting and then relaxing. It's quick, it's not usually painful in the sharp sense, and most people describe it as intense but tolerable, not something they dread.
Afterward, it's normal to feel sore for a day or two, similar to how a tough workout feels. That soreness is expected, not a sign something went wrong.
How it works
The working theory is that dry needling taps into your nervous system's ability to dial down pain signals and calm down a sensitive, guarded muscle. When a muscle has been sensitive and irritable for a while, it can get stuck in a pattern of protecting itself, which paradoxically keeps it tight and painful. Needling can interrupt that cycle and give the muscle a chance to actually relax.
What the research says
I want to be straight with you here rather than oversell it. The evidence shows dry needling is more effective than doing nothing or a sham treatment for reducing pain, especially in the short term. For neck pain specifically, there's decent evidence for pain reduction that holds up for about a month. Where the research gets thinner is long-term effects on its own. Dry needling isn't usually a standalone fix. It works best as one piece of a broader plan that includes actually addressing why that tissue became sensitive and irritable in the first place, via strength training and more frequent movement.
That's basically how I use it. It's a great tool for getting a stubborn, guarded muscle to settle down enough that we can actually get productive work done in the same session, not a replacement for that work.
Who it's a good fit for
Dry needling tends to help most with muscular sensitivity and pain, whether that's a nagging shoulder, sore calves in runners, or chronic neck and upper back tension from sitting at a desk all day. If your pain is coming from an overactive, guarded muscle rather than something structural, it's usually worth trying.
Who should be more cautious
If you have a genuine needle phobia, we can talk through it or skip it entirely, there are other manual therapy options. People on blood thinners or with bleeding disorders need extra caution around bruising. And for needling near the upper back, shoulders, or chest, there's a small but real risk of affecting the lung if it's not done by someone who knows the anatomy well, which is why this should always be performed by a trained, licensed clinician, not something to try at home or with an undertrained provider. In experienced hands, that risk is very low, but it's not zero, and you deserve to know that going in.
What to expect during a session at Get Back
We'll discuss your pain, factors that positively and negatively have an impact, and your history of pain reduction strategies. If dry needling is deemed to be an appropriate intervention, I'll explain what I'm doing and why before I do it, and we usually pair needling with the strength training and mobility exercise to use the ranges of motion that are now less sensitive.
If you've been curious about trying it, or you've got a stubborn pain point that's not responding to stretching or foam rolling, I'm happy to talk through whether it makes sense for your situation. We're in Denver and work with clients throughout the metro area and well as offering mobile services as far as Boulder.
Sources referenced for the research and safety claims above:
