Many patients have asked me, “How does dry needling help relieve pain?” Here are three ways it works:

1. The penetration of the needles promotes blood flow, which in turn helps the healing process. Many people experience chronic pain because certain areas, like the inner part of the knee or the deep muscle layers of the lower back, do not get enough blood flow to heal properly.

2. Needling helps loosen up tight, stubborn muscles. When a muscle is too tight, it can restrict blood flow, irritate sensory nerves, and create extra tension, all of which contribute to pain.

3. Since the needles are made of metal, we can use them to conduct electrotherapy. Electrotherapy helps relieve pain by blocking pain signals from reaching the brain and triggering the release of natural painkillers called endorphins. This is a similar concept to how a TENS unit from Walmart provides pain relief.