What Is Dry Needling and How Does It Help Chronic Pain?
If you’ve got a stubborn, ropey knot in your shoulder, calf, or lower back that stretching and rest just won’t shift, dry needling may reach it in a way manual therapy alone can’t. Dr. Brian Sin (DACCP) at Kings Park Chiropractic uses dry needling alongside chiropractic adjustment to treat chronic muscle and joint pain that hasn’t responded to other approaches. This guide covers what dry needling actually is, how it differs from acupuncture, what the research says about its effectiveness, and what a session at our Kings Park clinic involves.
Written by Dr. Brian Sin (M.Chiro, Grad Dip Chiro, DACCP).
Key Takeaways
- Dry needling inserts a thin, sterile filiform needle directly into a myofascial trigger point to release muscle tension and reduce pain — no medication is injected.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found dry needling reduced neck and shoulder trigger point pain immediately after treatment and at short-term follow-up compared with sham or placebo treatment, and outperformed manual therapy at short-term follow-up (PubMed 25576642).
- A randomised controlled trial of 40 patients with chronic low back pain found active dry needling reduced pain (VAS) by around 6 points out of 10 and cut disability scores (Oswestry Disability Index) by roughly 18 points more than sham treatment, with the improvement still measurable at 3 months (PMC9500077).
- Chronic pain affects around 1 in 5 Australians aged 45 and over — an estimated 1.6 million people (AIHW, 2020).
- Dry needling at Kings Park Chiropractic doesn’t require a GP referral and is usually combined with chiropractic adjustment as part of a broader treatment plan.
What Is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a treatment technique where a practitioner inserts a very thin, sterile, single-use needle through the skin directly into a tight band of muscle known as a myofascial trigger point. The needle is called “dry” because nothing is injected through it — it’s the mechanical effect of the needle itself that matters. When the needle reaches an overactive trigger point, it often produces a brief, involuntary muscle twitch called a local twitch response. This twitch is thought to help disrupt the abnormal contraction within the muscle fibre, improve local blood flow, and reduce the chemical irritants that build up around chronically tight muscle tissue. The result, for most patients, is a release of tension in the muscle and a reduction in the referred pain that trigger point was causing.
Is Dry Needling the Same as Acupuncture?
No, although the two use a similar type of needle and are sometimes confused. Traditional acupuncture is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, where needles are placed at specific points along energy meridians to balance the body’s flow of qi. Dry needling is grounded in Western anatomy and neurophysiology: the needle is placed directly into a palpable, dysfunctional trigger point within a specific muscle, based on musculoskeletal assessment rather than meridian mapping. In practice, this means the needle placement for dry needling is chosen because that exact spot is where your muscle is tight, tender, and reproducing your pain — not because it corresponds to a traditional acupuncture point.
Does Dry Needling Actually Work for Chronic Pain? What the Research Says
Chronic muscle and joint pain is a significant problem in Australia — around 1 in 5 Australians aged 45 and over, an estimated 1.6 million people, live with chronic pain (AIHW, 2020). Dry needling has a growing evidence base as one tool for managing it. A systematic review and meta-analysis of trials on dry needling for myofascial trigger points associated with neck and shoulder pain found that dry needling reduced pain intensity immediately after treatment and at short-term follow-up when compared with sham, placebo, or waiting-list controls, and was more effective than manual therapy alone at short-term follow-up. The same review found dry needling improved pressure pain thresholds — a measure of how sensitive the muscle is to touch — immediately after the intervention (PubMed 25576642).
For chronic low back pain specifically, a randomised, single-blinded trial published in Scientific Reports allocated 40 patients with chronic low back pain from L5-S1 discopathy to either active dry needling or a sham (placebo needle) group, with treatment delivered twice a week for 4 weeks. The active dry needling group showed a significantly greater reduction in pain (VAS) — around 6.45 points out of 10 immediately after treatment, still around 6 points at 3 months — and a significantly greater improvement in function (Oswestry Disability Index), improving by roughly 18 points compared with no significant change in the sham group (p<0.001 for both measures) (PMC9500077). As with most manual therapies, the quality of individual trials varies, and dry needling works best as part of a broader treatment plan rather than as a stand-alone fix.
What Conditions Can Dry Needling Treat at Kings Park Chiropractic?
Dry needling is most useful where a tight, overactive muscle or trigger point is a significant contributor to your pain. At Kings Park Chiropractic, Dr. Brian Sin commonly uses it alongside chiropractic adjustment for chronic neck and shoulder tension, tension-type headaches driven by tight upper trapezius or suboccipital muscles, lower back pain with a muscular component, and muscle tightness following sports or work injuries. It’s less useful on its own for pain that’s primarily coming from a joint, disc, or nerve rather than muscle — which is why it’s typically combined with hands-on adjustment and, where appropriate, remedial massage rather than used in isolation. Our Dry Needling service page has more detail on how we combine it with our other treatments.
What Happens During a Dry Needling Session? Does It Hurt?
Dry needling is usually introduced during a normal chiropractic consultation once Dr. Brian Sin has identified a trigger point that’s contributing to your symptoms, rather than as a stand-alone appointment. You don’t need a GP referral to book — chiropractors are primary contact practitioners in Australia, so you can come straight in for an assessment. He’ll palpate the affected muscle to locate the exact trigger point, then insert a fine, single-use sterile needle into it. Most patients feel a brief dull ache, a deep cramping sensation, or a quick twitch as the needle reaches the trigger point, followed by a noticeable release in muscle tension. It’s generally well tolerated, and any soreness afterwards is usually mild and similar to post-exercise muscle fatigue, settling within a day or so. Dry needling is provided as part of your chiropractic consultation, so if you hold private health extras cover, HICAPS is available at reception for instant on-the-spot claiming.
If this is your first time at the clinic, your first visit runs for around 30 minutes and includes a history of your symptoms, a physical assessment, and a discussion of whether dry needling is appropriate for you, alongside any other treatment your assessment points to.
How Many Dry Needling Sessions Will I Need?
There’s no fixed number that applies to everyone — it depends on how long the muscle tension has been present, how many trigger points are involved, and how your body responds to the first couple of sessions. Acute, recent muscle tightness may settle in just one or two sessions, while chronic trigger points that have built up over months often respond better to a short course of sessions across a few weeks, combined with chiropractic adjustment and, where relevant, stretching or strengthening advice. Dr. Brian Sin will outline a realistic plan at your first visit rather than committing you to a long course upfront, and will adjust it based on how you respond. If you’d like to understand more about how chiropractic evidence and safety data holds up more broadly, our Evidence & Safety hub covers that in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dry needling is used to release tight, overactive muscle knots known as myofascial trigger points that contribute to chronic neck and shoulder tension, tension-type headaches, lower back pain, and muscle tightness following sports or work injuries.
No. Acupuncture is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine and targets points along energy meridians, while dry needling is based on Western anatomy and inserts a needle directly into a specific, palpable muscle trigger point identified during a physical assessment.
Most patients feel a brief dull ache, deep cramping sensation, or quick muscle twitch as the needle reaches the trigger point, followed by a release in tension. It’s generally well tolerated, and any post-treatment soreness is usually mild and settles within a day or so, similar to post-exercise fatigue.
Yes, with some caveats. A systematic review found dry needling reduced neck and shoulder trigger point pain compared with sham treatment in the short term (PubMed 25576642), and a randomised controlled trial found it significantly reduced pain and disability in chronic low back pain compared with sham needling, with benefits still present at 3 months (PMC9500077). As with most manual therapies, individual trial quality varies, so it works best as part of a broader treatment plan.
No. Chiropractors are primary contact practitioners in Australia, so you can book directly with Dr. Brian Sin at Kings Park Chiropractic without seeing a GP first.
It depends on how long the muscle tension has been present and how many trigger points are involved. Recent, acute tightness may settle in one or two sessions, while chronic trigger points often need a short course across a few weeks, combined with chiropractic adjustment.
Ready to Book?
If you’ve got a stubborn muscle knot that stretching, foam rolling, and rest haven’t touched, Dr. Brian Sin (DACCP) can assess whether dry needling is right for you as part of a broader treatment plan.
Book your appointment online or call us on (02) 9837 5161.