Does dry needling treat “muscle knots”?

Yes. Dry needling targets trigger points—tight, cramped spots in a muscle—to help the muscle relax.

Can dry needling help with radiating pain?

Trigger points often cause radiating pain in addition to local pressure pain, and treatment focuses on turning off the trigger point.

Do you combine dry needling with exercises?

Yes. Treatment is combined with active guidance, plus practical tips and exercises for at home.

Is dry needling the same as acupuncture?

They may look similar, but dry needling focuses on the muscle trigger point (usually one needle briefly), while acupuncture typically uses multiple needles placed more superficially for longer to influence “energy.”

Dry Needling Treatment | Fysiotherapy

What are trigger points?

A trigger point is a cramped spot in a muscle. It often causes local pressure pain and can also cause radiating pain to another area. Dry needling focuses on “turning off” the trigger point.

Trigger points can show up as:

Local muscle pain and stiffness and/or radiating pain
Movement limitations in related joints
Decreased strength in the involved muscles
Pain-avoiding behaviour

When can dry needling help?

Dry needling can be a valuable addition within physiotherapy when pain or stiffness persists, even when you are already moving or exercising. During the intake, your physiotherapist investigates where your symptoms come from and whether dry needling makes sense for you.

It aims to relax overactive muscles and can help with complaints in, among others, the neck, shoulder or back.

What to expect during treatment at B&B Healthcare

Before treatment, you’ll have an intake with one of our physiotherapists. During this appointment we:

Examine where your trigger points are located

Check how your trigger points respond to needling

Decide whether dry needling is the right step within your plan

After one treatment, you may notice results straight away. Alongside the treatment, we also give practical tips and exercises you can do at home to help keep the muscles supple.

Dry needling is combined with active guidance, so the effect is not only temporary.

Dry needling vs acupuncture

Dry needling can look similar to acupuncture, but there are clear differences:

Dry needling: usually one needle, used briefly to stimulate the muscle; the goal is to help the muscle relax quickly and for longer.

Acupuncture: often uses multiple needles, placed more superficially and left in longer to influence “energy” in the body.

What is dry needling?