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I recently had dry needling recommended to my for my bursitis that has been getting steadily worse for the past 2 1/2 years.

The whole name is "Trigger-Point Dry Needling".

It is similar to acupuncture but slightly different (imho). The good news is most medical insurance companies recognize it and cover it whereas acupuncture is not covered.

Here are some facts on this procedure (I am copying from the brochure I received on this method of pain control).

What is a Trigger-Point?

A myofascial trigger-point is a tender or painful "knot" in a muscle, causing the muscle to become tight and painful. These trigger-points can often cause referred pain elsewhere in the body.

What is Dry Needling?

Dry Needling is a unique treatment technique where a small solid acupuncture needle is inserted in the trigger-point causing the muscle to "twitch" (twitch response) and then relax.

This allows the tight muscle to relax, resulting in pain relief and restoration of muscle length and blood flow in the muscle.

Following the actual needling, the therapist will then stretch the muscle and apply heat after which you may receive some home exercises to keep stretching the muscle so it doesn't tighten up again

Is Dry Needling the Same as Acupuncture?

Dry Needling is completely different from Acupuncture since Acupuncture is based on energy flows within the body and Dry Needling focuses on trigger points within tight muscles.

Me again:

I had my first treatment today. I'll check back in a few days and give you my evaluation on whether it is effective in controlling the pain from my bursitis.