Updated March 2024

Do you have chronic pelvic pain that doesn’t ever seem to completely go away? A stubborn spot that you just can’t seem to get rid of? Or do you have some hip or back symptoms that typical physical therapy treatments aren’t helping with?

Then pelvic floor dry needling might be a good option for you!

Learn more about this treatment option in today’s blog post - 5 Things You Need to Know About Dry Needling - from a Pelvic Physical Therapist!

1. What is dry needling? 

Dry needling involves inserting a hair thin needle, similar to the ones used in acupuncture, into a trigger point within a muscle to get it to relax, improve blood flow to the area, and improve the overall healing environment. Trigger points, commonly referred to as “knots”, can be a large source of muscle pain. They are tight bands of muscle that can be painful to the touch, radiate pain to other parts of the body, and affect the way the muscle works. Dry needling is an effective way to get rid of these trigger points faster and keep them away long term!

2. What are the benefits of dry needling?

Take a minute to reach up and feel those tight upper trap muscles filled with knots right at the base of your neck and shoulders. Those are what we are trying to get rid of! Trigger point dry needling helps to improve overall muscle function by releasing tight, restrictive muscle knots, increasing blood flow to a muscle, and bringing good healing substances to the newly treated muscle. This helps decrease pain and improve muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility. It can often help get rid of tight, painful muscles much quicker than manual therapy alone.

Dry needling is an effective way to get rid of trigger points (‘knots’) faster and keep them away long term!

3. How painful is dry needling?

We are commonly asked if trigger point therapy is painful. Each person’s experience is different and the intensity of the treatment will vary based on how much pain you are in, how tight your muscles are, which body part is being needled, and your overall pain tolerance. The most discomfort comes not with the needle entry, but rather when the tight muscle is reached and the trigger point releases. Many people describe this as a cramping feeling or a deep pressure. You may even feel a satisfying jump or twitch when the muscle finally relaxes.

Some people note muscle soreness after needling similar to if they had lifted heavy weights or done a bunch of squats. This usually goes away in a day or so, and can be easily addressed with heat, ice, or pain medication (Arnica Montana is recommended or ibuprofen if necessary).

4. How many sessions of dry needling are needed?

How long the results from each session last depends on the individual, how long the muscle tension has been there, and how strong the knot is. A few sessions may be needed for full relief, but many patients experience relief after the initial treatment.

5. Can dry needling be used for pelvic health?

Yes! 

There are 36 muscles that connect in and around the pelvis that can develop tight, painful trigger points. Muscle trigger points in and around the pelvic floor can cause pain in the pelvis, abdomen, hips, back, bladder, genitals, and can even mimic sciatica! 

Dry needling the pelvic floor is an extremely specialized* and effective way to address these stubborn muscles, decrease pain, and improve overall pelvic floor muscle function. It’s definitely not as scary as it sounds - the needle for the pelvic floor is extremely thin and most people don’t even feel it go in.

Muscle trigger points in and around the pelvic floor can cause pain in the pelvis, abdomen, hips, back, bladder, genitals, and can even mimic sciatica!

At Renew Pelvic Health, we are excited to offer dry needling as part of your treatment options. Dry needling is a great technique to address a wide range of muscular dysfunctions that may be contributing to your condition. It is an efficient and effective treatment to help reduce pain and improve muscular function. 

Schedule a pelvic health evaluation with Ariel at Renew Pelvic Health today to see if dry needling may be a treatment option for you!

* NOTE: Not all pelvic physical therapists are trained on dry needling trigger point release. Check with your physical therapist to make sure they offer this treatment if it is something that interests you.