WHAT TO EXPECT
Understand the Technique. Know What Happens. Decide Together.
Assessment First
Start with the cause.
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Every visit starts with an exam, not a needle. We look at where your pain is, what makes it better or worse, and how you move. That tells us whether dry needling would help — and if it would, exactly which muscles to treat.
The Treatment Itself
Know what happens.
Thin, sterile, single-use needles are placed into the muscle or soft tissue being treated. Many people feel a brief cramp or twitch, and then the muscle settles. Sessions are short, and needling is one part of the visit rather than the whole of it.
After Your Session
Know what is normal.
Mild soreness for a day or two is common, and so is feeling looser fairly quickly. You will leave knowing what is normal, what to do with the rest of your day, and what to tell us next time so we can adjust.
WHERE IT MAY HELP
Muscle Pain, Tension & Movement Restrictions.
Neck & Shoulder Tension
Ease what the day builds up.
Tension that settles across the neck, upper back and shoulders, often alongside long hours at a desk or a wheel. Needling may be combined with mobility work and strength so the relief has something to hold onto.
Low Back & Hip Pain
Address the muscle side.
When guarded, irritable muscle is part of what is limiting you, needling may reduce that piece enough to make the movement work more productive. It sits alongside your plan, not instead of it.
Tendon & Overuse Pain
Support tissue under load.
Persistent pain around a tendon or an overused area often involves the muscle above it. Needling may address that piece while loading progresses at a pace the tissue can accept.
Sports & Training Loads
Keep moving through a block.
Mid-season or mid-training-block, needling may help manage the tightness and soreness that would otherwise interrupt the week - used with load management, not as a substitute for it.
SAFETY & CONSENT
Is Dry Needling Right for You?
Dry needling is not appropriate for everyone, and it is not used as a stand-alone solution for every condition. Whether it fits depends on your individual presentation, your goals, and how you respond to treatment. If it is not the right tool for you, we will tell you.
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Tell us before we begin if you are pregnant, take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, a compromised immune system, a needle phobia, or any implanted device near the area being treated. Some of these rule needling out. Others simply change how it is done.
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Virginia requires written informed consent covering the risks and benefits before any dry needling, and requires that it be performed only by a physical therapist with board-approved post-graduate training - it cannot be delegated to an assistant or aide. You will always be treated by the same clinician who evaluated you.
