Dry needling is a technique that involves inserting thin needles into myofascial trigger points to deactivate them and alleviate pain, effectively treating conditions such as fibromyalgia. It differs from acupuncture by targeting specific muscle issues rather than the meridian system and is considered safer with fewer side effects. Dry needling is widely practiced and indicated for various pain-related diagnoses and is offered by specialists like Dr. Vandana at Phyworld clinics.

2. What is Dry Needling
Dry Needling involves insertion of very thin needles into
‘myofascial trigger points’ to deactivate and help resolve
trigger points, and thus, pain. This technique has been proven
to bring relief, not only for pain, but also in patients of
fibromyalgia.

3. Sir William Gowers
•BMJ 1;117-121
•Fibrositis”
•Palpable tenderness
and hardness of the
muscle
Fred H. Albee,
MD, ScD
• “Myofascitis
from an
orthopedic
standpoint”
JH Kellgren
•Hypertonic saline
injections
•Referral patterns
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF
PAIN LOW IN THE BACK
ALLOCATION OF THE SOURCE OF
PAIN
BY THE PROCAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
METHOD
JAMA. 1938;110(2):106-113
Arthur Steindler
•“Myofascial pain”
•“Trigger points”
Karl Lewit, MD, DSc
•“The Needle Effect”
Janet Travell, MD and
David G. Simons, MD
19831928 1938 1950 19791904 1931
Max Lange
1st Trigger Point Manual
Die Muskelhärten (Myogelosen):
Ihre Entstehung und Heilung
Myofascial Pain and
Dysfunction, The Trigger Point
Manual. Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins.
Trigger Point Model
Coined “Trigger Point”
1996
C. Chan Gunn
Radiculopathic
Model
History of Dry Needling

4. What is Trigger Point
• The Trigger Point is a
hyperirritable point in a
muscle, which is located
in a tight band and is
extremely painful when
touched.
• It is the focus area of the impacted muscle tissue and the
place from which the pain radiates to other ‘referred points’.
• Targeting the trigger points releases the congestion and
relaxes the entire muscular tissue by stimulating the spinal
reflex arc.
• This relieves the pain which may have been there for a long
time, even for years, without injecting any medication.

5. Dry Needling VS Acupuncture
Dry Needling Acupuncture
Dry needling aims for trigger points and
knotted muscle fibres.
acupuncture employs and is based on
the meridian system.
Dry needling also acts via the release of
endorphins and serum cortisol but also
achieves pain relief and biomechanical
re-function by de-activating the trigger
points at the muscle cell level and thus
eliminating the nociceptive focus of the
muscle.
Acupuncture achieves pain relief
through the release of endorphins and
creating balance in the body's energy
levels. Through the release of serum
cortisol acupuncture can also have an
anti-inflammatory effect.
DN is more popular because there is no
need to train in traditional acupuncture
methods in order to practice the
skill/technique of Dry Needling.
Acupuncturists and therapists trained
in traditional acupuncture are
increasingly including the needling of
myofascial trigger points into their
treatment approaches

6. COUNTRIES WHERE DRY NEEDLING IS
PRACTISED

7. Safety and Indications
Studies show that Dry Needling as a solution to pain is much safer than
drugs and has much fewer side effects such as mild muscle soreness or
bruising.
DN is indicated in numerous diagnoses, such as
radiculopathies joint dysfunction, disk pathology, tendonitis,
craniomandibular dysfunction, migraines, tension-type
headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, computer-related
disorders, whiplash associated disorders, spinal dysfunction,
pelvic pain and other urologic syndromes, post-herpetic
neuralgia, complex regional pain syndrome, nocturnal
cramps, phantom pain, and other relatively uncommon
diagnoses such as Barré Liéou syndrome, or neurogenic
pruritus, among others.

8. " ONE SESSION OF DRY
NEEDLING ACUPUNCTURE = 5
SESSIONS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
OR CHIROPRACTIC MASSAGE”

9. Dry Needling at PhyWorld
At PhyWorld, Dr. Vandana, who is a specialist in dry needling,
carries out a thorough evaluation and consultation for the patients
in need of this specialized technique. Patients are treated after
taking prior consent and the technique is carried out by Dr.
Vandana herself at both centers.

10. PHYWORLD
Dr. Vandana’s Physical Therapy & Fitness Clinics
Address
4, North Avenue, Punjabi Bagh (West), New Delhi – 110026
C-3, Defence Colony, New Delhi- 110024
Mobile No:
+(91)- 9910088152, 011- 25225527
REACH US
TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
CLICK HERE