Treatments
Dry
Needling
A precise, evidence-based technique that reaches the tissues that hands alone can’t always access — reducing pain and restoring movement faster than many traditional approaches.
Treatments
Dry
Needling
A precise, evidence-based technique that reaches the tissues that hands alone can’t always access — reducing pain and restoring movement faster than many traditional approaches.
Go to the source
Targeted Trigger Point Therapy
Dry needling is a skilled physical therapy technique that uses thin, monofilament needles to penetrate the skin and underlying muscle tissue — specifically targeting myofascial trigger points, the tight, irritable knots in muscle that cause local and referred pain. Despite the similar tools, dry needling is not acupuncture. It is rooted in modern Western medicine and focuses on the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems.
At Ethos Physical Therapy, dry needling is always performed by a certified clinician following a thorough evaluation. It becomes part of your treatment plan and is integrated with your manual therapy and exercise program to achieve maximal results. It’s particularly useful in cases where range of motion is significantly restricted, when other forms of manual therapy haven’t achieved the desired results, or when a faster response is needed — such as with athletes managing pain during a competitive season. Your therapist will let you know whether dry needling is the right fit for your situation before proceeding.
Dry needling is not acupuncture. While both use thin needles, dry needling is based on modern musculoskeletal anatomy and neuroscience — targeting specific trigger points to interrupt pain cycles and restore normal muscle function.
CONDITIONS IT ADDRESSES
- Myofascial pain and trigger points
- Neck pain and cervicogenic headaches
- Low back pain and sciatica
- Shoulder pain and rotator cuff conditions
- Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow
- IT band syndrome and patellofemoral pain
- Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy
- Hip flexor tightness and piriformis syndrome
- Chronic muscle tension and spasm
- Post-surgical scar tissue and restricted mobility
WHAT TO EXPECT
01 Evaluation & Consent — Your therapist evaluates whether dry needling is appropriate for your condition and reviews the process with you. A consent form is required before any treatment.
02 Trigger Point Identification — Using hands-on palpation, your therapist identifies the specific trigger points contributing to your pain or movement restriction.
03 Needling Treatment — Fine needles are inserted precisely into the trigger points. You may feel a brief twitch response — a normal and often therapeutic sign that the target has been reached.
04 Integration with Full Session — Dry needling is almost always combined with manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and other PT interventions as part of a comprehensive treatment plan — not used in isolation.
The Ethos Approach
Why Choose Ethos for Dry Needling
Certified Clinicians Only
Dry needling at Ethos is performed exclusively by licensed clinicians with specific dry needling certification. You will never receive this treatment from an aide or uncertified staff member.
Part of a Complete Plan
We never use dry needling as a standalone treatment. It’s integrated into a comprehensive PT plan that includes manual therapy, exercise prescription, and patient education — because lasting results require more than one tool.
Faster Results for the Right Patients
For many patients — particularly those with chronic muscle tightness, tendinopathies, or significant trigger point involvement — dry needling accelerates the results that traditional hands-on methods take longer to achieve.
Find Out if Dry Needling Is Right for You
Call us or request an appointment at our Plymouth or South Lyon clinic. Your therapist will evaluate your situation and give you an honest recommendation.
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