Is Dry Needling in the Neck Safe? A physical therapist answers common concerns
Dry needling is a technique that uses thin needles to target muscle tissue and support pain relief, improved mobility, and better nervous system function. This article explains why dry needling in the neck is considered safe when performed by a properly trained provider and what you can expect during treatment.
It also explores who may benefit from neck dry needling, how it can help with neck pain, headaches, and jaw discomfort, and why it works best alongside exercise and other healthy habits. Learn how our dry needling services fit into a comprehensive treatment approach.
Dry needling is gaining a lot of popularity, and for good reason. It is a very effective way to treat pain and injury. Dry needling is one of our clients’ favorite bodywork treatments and many people seek us out for dry needling specifically.
The short answer to the question, “Is dry needling in the neck safe?” is a resounding yes! We dry needle the neck muscles on a daily basis here at Empower Physio and Wellness, and even receive this treatment ourselves.
In this blog post, we will address all safety concerns you may have about dry needling in the neck and help you make an informed decision on whether dry needling would be a good treatment option for you.
Here’s what we are going to talk about in this blog post:
What is dry needling?
Is dry needling in the neck safe?
How dry needling can be effective for treating neck pain
Who would benefit from dry needling in the neck
What to expect during dry needling treatment
What is dry needling?
Dry needling is a technique in which a very thin needle is inserted into a muscle. This allows the muscle to relax, increases blood flow (and blood flow = healing), and helps the nervous system communicate with the painful body part better. There are a whole host of things happening in the body during dry needling that makes it so effective!
Dry needling is very effective for treating things like:
Muscle pain and tightness
Acute injuries
Swelling
Exercise or overuse injuries
Joint pain
Headaches
TMJ pain/TMD (temporomandibular disorders)
Neck and shoulder pain or tightness
Back and hip pain or tightness
Sciatica
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Nerve injuries or nerve entrapment (including sciatica)
Sinus pain, headaches, pressure, and congestion
It is important to note that dry needling is NOT the same as acupuncture. You can learn more about the differences in our blog post How Is Dry Needling Different Than Acupuncture?
Is dry needling in the neck safe?
Yes, dry needling in the neck is safe. For a physical therapist to perform dry needling, advanced training after graduation from physical therapy school is required. This extra training, in addition to extensive training in anatomy and physiology during school, maximizes safety with performing this technique.
The most important thing to keep clients safe when performing dry needling is knowing where NOT to put a needle. For example, don’t put a needle into the lung or anywhere air flows. Avoid organs and important blood vessels. Select the right size needle for the body part being needled. These are all foundational things we consider on a daily basis when needling our clients.
A great rule of thumb is to always go towards bone or pinch the muscle up between your fingers so you know the only thing you’re needling is muscle.
The back of the neck is one big bony backdrop due to all the vertebrae in the neck stacked tightly on top of one another. This makes the neck a very safe place to needle!
When it comes down to it, it is up to the provider to always take great caution to uphold safety standards and communicate risks with their clients.
Of note, athletic trainers, chiropractors, and occupational therapists can also practice dry needling in the state of Ohio.
How dry needling can be effective for treating neck pain
The vast majority of neck pain cases we see here at Empower Physio and Wellness involve some sort of muscle tension. And one of our favorite ways to address muscle tension is through dry needling, since it reduces pain and improves mobility quickly and efficiently.
Our clients with headaches and/or jaw pain also have muscle tightness in their necks, so neck dry needling works great for them too.
One of the most powerful mechanisms that makes dry needling effective is through its impact on the nervous system. Whenever you can improve functioning of the nervous system, you can improve the way the body feels and moves. Yes, the local muscle release is great, but the nervous system effects are the secret sauce behind it.
It is important to note that as great as dry needling is, it is a means to an end…not the end itself. Dry needling is most effective when paired with breathing drills, exercise, and lifestyle optimization. Learn more about this in our blog post Dry Needling Effectiveness: How to get the most out of this technique.
Who would benefit from dry needling in the neck
Literally ANYONE can benefit from dry needling in the neck!
If you get regular massages, try to stretch, or exercise consistently and are still dealing with neck pain or tension, dry needling could be a great treatment option for you.
If you’ve tried other treatments, or even physical therapy, in the past and didn’t get the results you were hoping for, don’t give up! You may benefit from a different treatment approach or different style of dry needling. It is important to find a provider that you truly like and trust to truly get the best results.
Are you thinking you might need to find a new provider? This is very normal! Check out our blog post When to Make a Move: Signs You’re Seeing the Wrong Physical Therapist for more info on this. In short, you wouldn’t say all vegetables are bad just because you don’t like kale…so just because you may have had one less-than-stellar experience with physical therapy or dry needling doesn’t mean that it can’t be effective for you. You just need to find the right match and treatment style.
The primary exception to who would benefit from dry needling is people with needle phobia. We never needle people who are afraid of needles because they’d probably leave the session more tense than when they came in and that defeats the purpose! We have many other bodywork strategies for our people who don’t like needles that are very effective.
What to expect during dry needling treatment
During a dry needling treatment, your physical therapist will insert small needles into the muscles of the neck, and potentially the suboccipital muscles and traps, depending on what he/she finds in the assessment.
When the needle goes into the skin, you won’t feel anything because the needle is so small. When the needle enters the muscle, you will likely feel a tight, crampy sensation. The muscle may even twitch, or do a quick involuntary contraction. This is all very normal and means you’re in the right place!
How many needles are used, length of time leaving the needles in place, and any other needling techniques performed are up to the discretion of the physical therapist based on their experience and your clinical presentation.
After treatment, you’ll be given exercises to address mobility or strength needs that arise during your assessment. Remember, this is what makes the dry needling treatment most effective.
There’s nothing you need to do differently after a dry needling treatment. Just move around and drink plenty of water.
The cool thing about dry needling is that you stand up and feel an immediate difference in how you feel. While most people do experience some sort of post-needle soreness (this is similar to DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, that you feel after a workout), their original pain or tension feels immediately improved.
It usually takes several treatment sessions of dry needling to truly address a problem. The amount of sessions varies depending on how long the problem is going on and how much you support yourself between dry needling sessions with your prescribed exercises, nutrition, hydration, sleep, stress processing, and movement.
Where to find physical therapy for dry needling in the neck
Are you interested in trying dry needling? If you are located in or near Westerville, Ohio we can help you with dry needling to improve your neck pain!
You can get started right away by learning more about our physical therapy services, dry needling services, or getting in contact with us.
We also offer virtual coaching throughout the world to empower you with your health and get to the root of what is holding you back. You can learn more about our virtual coaching program here.
If you have additional questions, we would love to talk with you, hear your story, answer all your questions, and see how we could help.
You can call or text us at (614) 423-9731 or schedule a free discovery call. You can also learn more about Empower Physio and Wellness + our team or check out other services we offer.