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Trigger points are painful nodules embedded in muscle fibers. They are common in almost every chronic pain case. These points, when active, elicit a "twitch response" along with referral into an expected region of the torso or an extremity. Besides pain, trigger points result in muscle weakness and range of motion impairments. The goal of dry needling is to elicit and sustain the twitch. This is believed to neurologically "reset" the muscle. In addition, the noxious, acidic chemicals contained in the nodule are liberated from the affected muscle.
The type of rotator cuff case that would respond with dry needling is that in which range of motion is not totally compromised. The most commonly affected rotator cuff muscle is the supraspinatus. The tendon of this muscle lies under the clavicle where it joins the shoulder (the acromioclavicular joint.) The needles are inserted into the musculotendinous junction and create a type of micro-trauma which sets up an optimal environment for tendon remodeling. In many instances, patients feel an immediate relief of tension in the muscle. We are very excited about the results our patients have realized with the dry needling approach. If you are unhappy with traditional approaches, then you should give this low cost, safe approach a try.