What dry needling is
Dry needling is when a physio puts a thin needle into a muscle or tendon to try to reduce pain or muscle tightness. It is called “dry” because nothing is injected through the needle. I’m a physio in Hampstead Gardens, Adelaide, and I don’t offer it. This page explains what it is, what the research says, why I leave it out, and what I do instead, so you can decide whether it’s what you’re after.
Plenty of physios in Adelaide do offer it, and for some people it is a reasonable choice. This isn’t a verdict on them.
What the research says
The honest summary is that the research is mixed and often uncertain.
- Some reviews report a small reduction in pain in the short term, compared with no treatment or a sham (fake) needle.
- Others, looking at specific problems such as chronic low back pain, find little or no difference compared with a sham needle.
- Most of the trials are small, and the certainty of the evidence is often rated low or very low.
- There is little good evidence on whether any benefit lasts for weeks or months.
That doesn’t mean it never helps anyone. It means the evidence doesn’t give a confident answer either way, which is worth knowing before you pay for it.
Is it safe?
In trained hands it is generally considered low risk. The usual effects are minor: soreness, bruising or a little bleeding. Serious complications are rare, but they can happen if a needle goes somewhere it shouldn’t, which is why training matters and why needling near the chest, eyes or major blood vessels needs extra care.
If you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are pregnant, have an implant or are afraid of needles, tell whoever is treating you before you start.
Why I don’t offer it
I only use treatments I think change the outcome. For most of the problems I see, such as recurring back pain, tendon pain and hip or knee problems, what changes the outcome in my experience is loading the tissue progressively and understanding what is going on. Needling doesn’t add enough to that for me, so I spend the time on the part that does.
That is my choice for my practice. It isn’t a claim that needling never works, and it isn’t a criticism of physios who use it.
What I do instead
Every problem runs through the same three steps.
- Find the real cause. A proper history and assessment, so I can see why it keeps happening and not just where it hurts.
- Calm the system. Explaining what the pain is and isn’t, and hands-on work such as massage and joint mobilisation where it helps.
- Rebuild for capacity. Progressive loading so the tissue can handle more than your week asks of it.
There is a finish line. I discharge you once the problem is under control and you’re confident managing it yourself. See how I work for the detail.
If you still want dry needling
That’s a fair thing to want. A few things worth asking whoever you book with:
- Have you done dry needling training, and how often do you use it?
- What do you expect it to do for my problem, and over what time?
- What is the plan beyond the needling itself?
If you book with me and needling is what you’re after, I’ll tell you plainly that I don’t offer it, and you can decide whether to go ahead.
Where this comes from
- Benefits and harms of needling therapies for chronic primary low back pain in adults, a systematic review to inform a World Health Organization guideline (2023). It rated the certainty of the evidence as low or very low.
- Efficacy of trigger point dry needling on pain and function of the hip joint: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials (Acupuncture in Medicine, 2024), which concluded that strong evidence is lacking.
- Adverse events associated with therapeutic dry needling (International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 2020), which describes minor reactions such as bleeding, bruising and pain.
I treat back, hip, knee and shoulder problems at my clinic in Hampstead Gardens, Adelaide. An initial appointment is $150 (45 minutes), HICAPS is on site, and no referral is needed for private appointments. For the wider picture, see conditions I treat and the FAQ.