Dry needling is a skilled physical therapy technique used to release tight muscles, reduce pain, and restore mobility. It involves inserting thin, sterile needles into trigger points—those “knots” that develop in overused or irritated muscles. Unlike acupuncture, dry needling is based on Western anatomical and neurological principles.
READ: The Complete Guide to Dry Needling for Athletes in Manchester
When a needle stimulates a trigger point, it helps increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and promote healing. Many athletes report decreased pain and improved movement shortly after treatment.
At Revitalized Performance in Manchester, NH, we use dry needling as part of a comprehensive recovery plan. It’s especially effective for treating common athletic injuries, speeding up healing, and helping you return to peak performance.
Hamstring strains are one of the most common injuries among runners, field sport athletes, and gym-goers. These strains often occur when the muscle is overloaded during sprinting or sudden acceleration. This results in tightness, pain, and reduced power with every stride or lift.
Dry needling helps relieve muscle tension in the hamstrings by targeting specific trigger points that contribute to the strain. When combined with stretching and strengthening exercises, this technique can speed up the healing process and restore normal muscle function.
At Revitalized Performance, we often see athletes respond quickly to dry needling for hamstring injuries, especially when it’s introduced early in the recovery process. It helps reduce re-injury risk and gets you back to training with more confidence.
Shoulder impingement is a common issue for swimmers, lifters, and overhead athletes. It occurs when the soft tissues in the shoulder, like the rotator cuff or bursa, get compressed during movement, leading to pain, pinching, and limited range of motion.
READ: What Is Performance Physical Therapy? A Comprehensive Breakdown
Dry needling can be an effective way to reduce muscle tightness around the shoulder blade, rotator cuff, and upper back. By releasing overactive muscles and improving blood flow, it helps relieve pressure in the joint and allows for smoother, pain-free movement.
At Revitalized Performance, we often pair dry needling with corrective exercises and postural training to address the root cause of impingement. This approach not only relieves symptoms but also builds long-term shoulder stability for sustained performance.
Achilles tendinopathy is a frustrating injury for runners, jumpers, and anyone who logs a lot of time on their feet. It’s caused by repetitive stress to the Achilles tendon, leading to pain, stiffness, and thickening of the tissue just above the heel.
Dry needling can decrease calf muscle tension, which often contributes to excessive load on the Achilles tendon. By reducing tightness and improving circulation, dry needling supports the healing process and decreases strain on the tendon itself.
At Revitalized Performance, we use dry needling as part of a broader plan that includes eccentric loading exercises and mobility work. This combination helps reduce symptoms while restoring strength and elasticity in the lower leg.
Plantar fasciitis is a common overuse injury that causes sharp heel pain, especially with the first few steps in the morning or after long periods of standing. It’s often caused by tightness in the foot and calf muscles, poor foot mechanics, or repetitive impact.
Dry needling can target key trigger points in the calf, foot, and even the deeper muscles of the lower leg that contribute to tension on the plantar fascia. By releasing these areas, it helps reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and relieve the chronic tightness that keeps symptoms hanging around.
At Revitalized Performance, dry needling is part of a holistic treatment plan that includes soft tissue work, mobility training, and foot strengthening exercises. The goal: faster pain relief and a lasting return to comfort during your daily and athletic activities.
IT Band Syndrome is a common cause of outer knee pain, especially among runners and cyclists. It occurs when the iliotibial band, a thick band of connective tissue, becomes irritated from friction over the outer knee during repetitive movement.
Although the IT band itself isn’t a muscle, tension in surrounding muscles like the glutes, quads, and tensor fasciae latae (TFL) can pull on the band and increase strain. Dry needling targets these trigger points to reduce tightness, restore balance, and ease pressure on the knee.
READ: Beyond Rehab: How Performance Physical Therapy Optimizes Athletic Potential
At Revitalized Performance, we combine dry needling with hip strengthening and gait retraining to address the root causes of IT Band Syndrome. This approach helps athletes reduce pain and stay active without interruption.
If you're dealing with pain, tightness, or lingering injuries that limit your performance, dry needling may be the missing piece in your recovery plan. It’s not just for pain relief, it’s a powerful tool to restore function, improve mobility, and help you return to your sport stronger than before.
At Revitalized Performance in Manchester, NH, dry needling is part of our evidence-based approach to treating athletic injuries. We assess your movement patterns, target the root cause of your symptoms, and integrate dry needling into a customized plan that fits your goals.
Ready to feel the difference? Contact us to schedule your evaluation and learn how dry needling can support your recovery and performance.