Dry Needling in London
Tight, knotted muscles can cause pain that lingers for months and spreads to places you don’t expect. Dry needling targets those knots directly, and trials show it can ease muscle-related pain in the short term. At our clinic it is given by fully trained acupuncturists, so you get trigger point techniques and the wider skills of acupuncture in the same session. We’ve been treating pain in London for 25 years.
Book an initial consultation or call 0207 935 2030 for a free 15-minute chat.
What is dry needling?
Dry needling uses the same fine, single-use needles as acupuncture to treat myofascial trigger points: tight, tender bands in a muscle that cause local pain and often refer pain elsewhere. A knot in the shoulder, for example, can cause headaches, and one in the buttock can send pain down the leg. The needle is placed into the trigger point, which often produces a brief twitch as the muscle releases. It is called “dry” because nothing is injected.
Dry needling is commonly used for:
- Neck pain, shoulder tension and tension headaches
- Lower back pain and buttock pain
- Sports injuries and tight calves, hamstrings and hips
- Tendon pain such as tennis elbow and plantar fasciitis
See your GP first if pain follows an injury or fall, comes with numbness or weakness, or comes with fever, weight loss or feeling generally unwell.
Acupuncture vs dry needling
Dry needling grew out of acupuncture. Many of the trigger points it targets match the tender “ashi” points that acupuncturists have needled for centuries. The main differences are in training and scope.
| Dry needling | Acupuncture | |
|---|---|---|
| What’s treated | Trigger points in the painful muscle | Painful areas, plus points elsewhere in the body chosen for your symptoms |
| Typical practitioner | Physiotherapists and other therapists, often after a short postgraduate course | Acupuncturists with degree-level training |
| Needles | Fine, single-use, usually in and out or left briefly | Fine, single-use, usually left in for 15 to 20 minutes |
| Assessment | Focused on muscles and movement | Muscles and movement, plus sleep, stress and general health |
| Best suited to | A clear muscle or tendon problem | Muscle pain, and longer-standing or more widespread problems |
How we use it: the best of both
As fully trained acupuncturists, we see dry needling as one technique among many. In practice, most of our patients have a combined treatment: we release the trigger points directly, then add acupuncture points that support pain relief, relaxation and recovery more widely. We tailor the balance to you. Someone with a single tight shoulder after a heavy gym week may need mainly trigger point work, while someone with years of neck pain, poor sleep and stress usually benefits from the broader approach.
What the research shows
- Gattie et al., 2017 (Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy) — 13 trials of trigger point dry needling for musculoskeletal pain. Dry needling reduced pain more than no treatment, sham or other treatments for up to 12 weeks. The evidence was very low to moderate quality, and long-term benefit is not yet established.
- Navarro-Santana et al., 2020 (Journal of Clinical Medicine) — 28 trials in people with neck pain linked to trigger points. Dry needling reduced pain and pain-related disability in the short term compared with sham or waiting list, with low to moderate quality evidence.
- Vickers et al., 2018 (Journal of Pain) — combined raw data from 39 trials and 20,827 patients with chronic pain. Acupuncture outperformed both sham and no acupuncture, and most of the benefit was still there a year later.
Results vary between people, and needling is not a replacement for medical assessment.
What to expect
Your first appointment lasts an hour. We take a full history, check how you move, find the tight and tender areas, and agree a plan with you. You’ll feel a brief ache or twitch as a trigger point releases, then the muscle usually feels looser. Muscles can feel a little sore for a day or two afterwards, like after a workout. Where suitable we may add electro-acupuncture, cupping or a heat lamp.
Many people notice a difference within a few sessions, and we review progress together after four. Initial consultations start from £80; see clinics and fees for details.
Why The London Acupuncture Clinic
- 25 years treating patients in London
- Degree-qualified acupuncturists trained in both dry needling and traditional acupuncture
- We work alongside GPs and consultants, with close links to physiotherapists and chiropractors
- Open seven days a week, with early-morning and evening appointments
- Receipts for insurance claims on request
Is dry needling the same as acupuncture?
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture that focuses on trigger points in muscles. Acupuncture uses those techniques too, but also includes points elsewhere in the body and a broader assessment. At our clinic you can have both in the same session.
Does dry needling hurt?
The needles are about the width of a hair. When a needle reaches a trigger point you may feel a deep ache or a brief twitch in the muscle, which passes quickly. Some people feel mild soreness for a day or two afterwards.
How many sessions will I need?
Many people have four to six weekly sessions, reviewed after the first four. A recent muscle problem may need fewer; long-standing pain usually needs more.
I’ve had dry needling from my physio. Is your treatment different?
The trigger point techniques are similar. The difference is that our practitioners are fully trained acupuncturists, so we can combine those techniques with wider acupuncture points and a fuller assessment when that suits you. We’re happy to work alongside your physiotherapist.
Can I exercise after dry needling?
Light activity is fine the same day, and gentle movement can help any soreness settle. We’d suggest avoiding a hard training session or race for 24 hours.
Book your consultation
Book online or call 0207 935 2030. Not sure whether dry needling or acupuncture suits you? Ask for a free 15-minute telephone chat.
Related: Sports injuries · Neck pain · Back pain · Pain relief
Written by The London Acupuncture Clinic’s practitioner team.
