Why "dry"
Nothing is injected. The needle itself is the treatment, which is what separates it from an injection and is why there is no drug involved and no prescription needed.
Dry needling, Twickenham
Dry needling and medical acupuncture in Twickenham
A precise tool for muscle that will not let go. I use it inside a full osteopathic assessment, on the specific tissue the examination points to, and only when I think it will add something.
- GOsC Registered Osteopath, No. 21866
- 10+ years clinical experience
- BSc (Hons) Osteopathy, BCOM London
- Appointments usually available same week
- Twickenham, TW2 5UL
What it is
Fine needles, specific targets
Dry needling uses very fine, sterile, single-use needles placed into myofascial trigger points — tight, tender bands inside a muscle that can refer pain somewhere else entirely.
How it differs from traditional acupuncture
The targets are muscular dysfunctions identified during your physical examination, not points on a meridian map. The reasoning is anatomical and the sites are chosen from what I find on the day.
How it works
What the needle actually does
The effect is mechanical and neurological rather than mystical. Needling a trigger point often produces a brief, involuntary twitch in the muscle, after which the tight band usually releases and local tenderness drops.
- Releases the taut band within the muscle, restoring its normal length
- Increases local blood flow to tissue that has been held tight
- Stimulates the nervous system's own pain-modulating pathways, reducing sensitivity in the area
- Reduces protective guarding, so hands-on work and exercise afterwards are more productive
That last point is the main reason I use it. Needling is rarely the whole treatment — it is what makes the rest of the session work better on muscle that has stopped responding to hands alone.
What it helps
Where needling earns its place
It is most useful where a specific muscle or tendon is holding tension that hands-on work alone has not shifted.
Persistent trigger points
Tight, tender spots that keep returning, particularly through the neck, shoulders, and gluteal muscles, and often referring pain away from the spot itself.
Neck and shoulder tension
Desk-related tightness through the upper trapezius and levator scapulae, the pattern that builds through a working week and never quite clears.
Headaches coming from the neck
Cervicogenic headache, where the pain is felt in the head but generated by the joints and muscles at the base of the skull.
Lower back and gluteal pain
Deep gluteal and lumbar muscle guarding, including the pattern that mimics sciatica without a genuine nerve component.
Tendon and overuse problems
Used alongside progressive loading for tennis elbow, gluteal and patellar tendinopathy, ITB-related pain, and plantar fasciitis.
Muscle guarding after an injury
Protective tightness that outlasts the original strain or sprain and starts limiting movement in its own right.
What to expect
What it feels like, and afterwards
Most people describe a dull ache or a brief cramping sensation as the muscle twitches, rather than the sharp sting of an injection. The needles are much finer than the ones used to take blood. Each one is sterile, single-use, and goes straight into a sharps bin afterwards.
Afterwards you may feel mildly sore in the treated area for a day or two, similar to post-exercise soreness. Occasional small bruising and a short period of tiredness are both normal. I will tell you what to expect for your specific case before you leave.
Consent, every time: I explain what I am proposing and why before any needle is used, and I ask each time rather than assuming a previous yes carries over. You can decline and the session continues perfectly well without it — needling is one option among several, not the point of the appointment.
When I won't use it
It is not right for everyone
Needling is straightforward and well tolerated, but there are situations where I will leave it out and treat another way.
Where it is not suitable
A genuine needle phobia, a bleeding disorder or anticoagulant medication, broken skin or local infection at the site, and some circumstances in pregnancy. Tell me at the case history and I will plan around it.
Where it simply won't add anything
If the assessment points to a joint restriction, a nerve, or a loading problem rather than muscle, needling is not the tool. I will say so rather than include it because it sounds impressive.
Ask whether needling would help your case
Message on WhatsApp and I will reply within a few hours. If it is not the right tool for your problem, I will tell you that too.