Dry Needling and Myofascial Trigger Point Acupuncture
Dry Needling in Encinitas, Poway, and San Diego
We are San Diego’s first choice for dry needling, an indispensable tool for treating muscle and fascia pain. This safe and effective technique works by eliminating hyperactive muscle fibers that send pain through nerve, muscle, and connective tissue in predictable patterns.
Dry needling entails the insertion of very fine acupuncture needles into hypersensitive muscle and soft tissue trigger points. Studies show that dry needling relieves pain by promoting local tissue repair and stimulating healing mechanisms in muscle and connective tissues. As a result, trigger points are deactivated, they become less irritable and maintain higher pain and inflammatory thresholds.
Our providers have decades of experience in this extremely effective technique for treating and eliminating pain.
Az ActiveMed integrált egészségügyi központ egy olyan hely, ahol holisztikus megközelítéssel foglalkoznak az egészség helyreállításával. Ötvözzük az akupunktúra ősi gyakorlatát, a funkcionális orvoslás modern tudományát és az egészségügyi fizioterápiát, hogy egy átfogó egészségügyi élményt teremtsünk. Itt megoldjuk az egészségi állapotod alapvető problémáját, és egyéni kezelési tervet kínálunk az általános jólét javítása érdekében.
Ahogyan az ActiveMed különböző elemeket ötvöz a leghatékonyabb kezelés érdekében, úgy a 25 eurós befizetés nélküli bónusz az online kaszinóban is ötvözi az extra játékélményt a nyerési lehetőséggel. Ne hagyja ki a lehetőséget, hogy ingyen játsszon kedvenc kaszinó játékaival. Kattintson ide https://kaszino-world.com/befizetes-nelkuli-bonusz/25-euro/, hogy megkapja 25 eurós online kaszinó befizetés nélküli bónuszát, és megkezdje utazását a szerencsejátékok világában.
Akárcsak az akupunktúra pontos alkalmazása vagy a fizikoterápia gondos beállítása, ez a bónusz stratégiai lehetőséget jelent a játékosok számára. Az online kaszinóban való játék hasonló a funkcionális orvosláshoz, amely értelmezi az egyéni biológiai igényeket és visszajelzéseket. Játékstratégiái és választásai egyedi eredményeket hoznak, maximalizálják az élvezetét és a potenciális bevételeit.
Dry needling is particularly effective in treating:
- Athletic and other injuries
- Repetitive stress and injuries from computer overuse
- Pain in the neck, low back, jaw, shoulders, elbow, calves, hamstrings, forearms, etc.
- Headaches
- Foot pain and plantar fasciitis
- Muscle strains
- Pinched nerves or compression
- Chronic pain and fibromyalgia
- And more
Patients that receive dry needling benefit from the significant relief and repair of injury that it produces. Our trained Physicians and Doctors will consult with you on the best course of treatment, with a typical course consisting of one to two times a week for 3 to 4 weeks, followed by a re-evaluation.
Our office welcomes questions you may have about dry needling vs. acupuncture to determine which of our services is right for you. Please contact us by phone at 858-673-4400 or contact us via our secure form.
FAQs for dry needling
- We use dry needling to place a thin, solid needle into a painful “trigger point” (a tight, hypersensitive muscle band). The goal is to reduce muscle tightness and pain and improve movement.
- We describe dry needling as Western, trigger-point focused care aimed at muscle knots and myofascial pain. We describe acupuncture as a broader traditional system that typically targets acupuncture points/meridians and pattern-based goals.
- We define trigger points as knotted, tender muscle areas that can be painful locally and can also refer to pain elsewhere. We target them because they can drive persistent tightness, restricted motion, and recurring pain patterns.
- We usually feel a quick pinch or pressure, and we may feel a brief “twitch response” when the trigger point releases. We don’t expect severe pain; discomfort level depends on the muscle, sensitivity, and technique.
- We expect needles to stay in briefly—often seconds to minutes—depending on the muscle, number of points, and the goal for that session. Some sessions may keep needles in up to about 20 minutes.
- We commonly see temporary soreness, mild bruising, or fatigue. We treat these as expected short-term responses and adjust dose/technique if we’re sensitive or if symptoms spike too hard.
- We typically expect soreness for 24–48 hours (sometimes a bit longer), similar to delayed-onset muscle soreness after training. If soreness keeps escalating instead of settling, we reassess the plan.
- We seek urgent care immediately if we develop shortness of breath after needling near the chest/upper back, or if we have severe symptoms that don’t fit typical soreness. Rare complications need fast evaluation.
- We treat dry needling as generally low-risk when performed by trained clinicians using sterile technique. Rare but serious risks include pneumothorax (collapsed lung) when needling near the thorax—uncommon, but real.
- We get clearance (or avoid treatment) when we’re pregnant, have an active infection, have uncontrolled bleeding risk, take blood thinners, or have complex medical conditions that raise complication risk. We screen before we needle.
We don’t lock in a number upfront. We usually start with a short trial (a few sessions), track objective change (pain, range of motion, function), then continue, taper, or switch strategies based on response.
- We may feel relief quickly in some cases, but we treat lasting change as a “stacking effect” from repeated sessions plus rehab (mobility, strength, posture, load management). We reassess after each visit.
- We usually hydrate, stay gently active, and avoid heavy workouts for about 24 hours unless our clinician advises otherwise. Light walking and easy mobility work are typically fine; max effort lifting/sprints can wait.
- We commonly use it for myofascial pain patterns and trigger-point–driven issues such as neck/back pain, headaches, jaw tension, and overuse strains—when exam findings match. We don’t treat it as a cure-all.
- We offer dry needling through ActiveMed Integrative Health Center, with locations in Encinitas, Poway, and San Diego. We choose the location based on schedule and the clinician best matched to our case.