Dry Needling for Lower Back Pain
Dry needling can be an effective tool used by physical therapists for treating lower back pain.
A few well-placed needles can help decrease pain, relieve muscle tension, and increase circulation to the area that needs it most - which promotes a faster recovery.
In fact, dry needling can be a game changer when it comes to relieving lower back pain and pain management as a whole.
While it isn’t the only method proven to be effective for treating low back pain, it’s certainly a great option to consider.
Dry needling pairs well with the tried-and-true physical therapy techniques that we all know and love, including soft tissue mobilization, lumbar decompression (traction), and exercise-based movements to promote tissue healing and decrease muscle spasm.
What is dry needling?
Dry needling sessions involve the insertion of a thin, sterile, single-use monofilament needle into a muscle, connective tissue, or myofascial trigger point to deliver targeted pain relief and decrease muscle tension.
Dry needling for lower back pain: How it works
For the low back, these needles are inserted along either side of the spine, and some down the midline of your back, to target specific muscles and connective tissues.
The number of needles used depends on your comfort level with the dry needling technique, your current pain pattern, mechanism of injury, and various contributing factors, including what tissues are involved and whether your pain is chronic or more acute in nature.
Dry needling is never a required treatment approach and it only utilized if it makes sense for you as the individual when considering your injury, your history, and your current lifestyle.
The advantages of using dry needling to treat lower back pain:
More direct treatment method
Allows you to target specific muscles, connective tissues, and myofascial trigger points (the “knots”) within the muscles
Can help treat the tissues deeper than you can reach with cupping and scraper tools
Amplifies effectiveness of treatment when combined with manual techniques and specific therapy based exercises
May result in fewer therapy sessions needed if you can relieve pain and tension from the start
Can immediately reduce pain by relaxing spasmed muscles and increasing circulation
Can improve range of motion, blood flow, and decrease he tension within muscle fibers
You might be wondering if dry needling hurts. Let's talk about it.
Dry needling doesn’t necessarily hurt, in fact, most patients describe the sensation of “getting needled” as more of a pressure or discomfort while the needles are in place.The needles are stimulated with an electrical stimulation (e-stim) machine or with manual winding every few minutes to get maximal benefit.
Potential disadvantages of dry needling:
While there are many benefits to using dry needling in practice, here are some other things to consider:
Sometimes dry needling treatment can make you sore for the remainder of the day or into the next day
If you are hesitant or have a fear of needles - have a conversation with your provider first
You may still need multiple treatment sessions to get back to 100% - it’s not usually just a one-and-done treatment
Dry needling results at my practice in Kennewick
You might be wondering about what results look like when it comes to dry needling. At my practice in Kennewick, WA, I treat musculoskeletal conditions in athletes and active humans every day.
Athletes love the recovery component of dry needling. We're able to speed up tissue healing and decrease muscular soreness as well as return them to sport quicker.
Those who are runners, hikers, or generally active humans really love that the treatment allows a more direct approach and lets us have direct access to tissues that we wouldn't have had access to otherwise.
When paired with exercise and a complete plan of action, I have seen my patients recover quicker, have decreased pain, and improve their range of motion and ability to do whatever it is they love without being held back by a nagging injury.
Where to get dry needling if you have lower back pain
If you are local to the Kennewick, WA area, I would love to see you at my physical therapy practice. Whether you are experiencing low back pain "randomly", or without a serious injury, or are having back pain whenever you bike, lift, run, or live lift, I'd love to help you.
I'm conveniently located on Clearwater Ave in Kennewick, WA.
You can get started today by booking a discovery call below.
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