Neck pain: dry needling can decrease pain and increase motion.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014 Apr;44(4):261

Authors:

Abstract
When you have neck pain, the muscles in your neck are often painful to the touch. The irritable, hard “knots” within a muscle or connective tissue that may cause pain over a large area are called trigger points. Dry needling is a treatment that involves pushing a very thin needle through the skin to stimulate a trigger point. The needle may relax the tight muscle bands associated with trigger points. As a result, dry needling may be helpful in decreasing pain and increasing motion for patients with neck pain. In a study published in the April 2014 issue of JOSPT, a group of researchers measured the benefits of dry needling for patients with neck pain. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(4):261. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.0502.

PMID: 24684194 [PubMed – in process]