What is Dry Needling?

Dry needling is an effective and efficient technique for the treatment of muscular pain and myofascial dysfunction. Dry needling or intramuscular stimulation (IMS) is a technique developed by Dr. Chan Gunn and is extremely effective for relaxing overactive muscles, which contain trigger points.

In short, the treatment involves needling of a muscle's trigger points without injecting any substance.

The approach is based on Western anatomical and neurophysiological principles. It should not be confused with the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technique of acupuncture. However, since the same filiment needles are used in both dry needling and acupuncture, the confusion is understandable.

 Is Dry Needling Effective?

Dr Chan Gunn in his I.M.S. approach and Dr Fischer in his segmental approach to Dry Needling strongly advocate the importance of clearing trigger points in both peripheral and spinal areas.

Today specifically trained physiotherapists and acupuncturists are using dry needling effectively and extensively within their practices for the treatment of Myofascial Pain & Dysfunction.