Dry needling — also called intramuscular stimulation, or IMS — uses a fine needle to treat myofascial trigger points: the tight, tender bands within a muscle that can refer pain elsewhere. It is used for muscle tightness and chronic regional pain, and it is always paired with exercise rather than given on its own.
It is not acupuncture
The needles look similar, but the reasoning is entirely different. Dry needling is based on a physical assessment of muscle and movement, and the needle is placed into a specific trigger point identified by examination. Nothing is injected — hence “dry”.
What it feels like
Most people feel a brief cramp or twitch as the trigger point releases, then a dull ache. Some muscle soreness for a day or so afterwards is normal. Your physiotherapist will explain what to expect before starting and will stop at any point if you ask.
Whether it is right for you
That is decided at assessment, not requested off a menu. Dry needling is not appropriate for everyone, and your physiotherapist will ask about bleeding disorders, blood-thinning medication, pregnancy and needle anxiety before considering it. Where it is not suitable, other approaches address the same problem.
How it fits the wider plan
Releasing a trigger point creates a window in which movement is easier and less painful. What matters is what you do with that window — the strengthening and movement retraining that stops the trigger point returning. Dry needling is used within orthopaedic physiotherapy, chronic pain management and sports physiotherapy, usually alongside manual therapy.
What a trigger point is
A trigger point is a small, exquisitely tender band within a muscle that stays partially contracted when the rest of the muscle has relaxed. Press it and it often reproduces the pain you came in with, sometimes in a place away from the point itself — which is why shoulder pain can come from the neck, and headaches from the muscles at the base of the skull.
That referral pattern is the reason treatment is not always applied where it hurts, and your physiotherapist should explain the link before needling somewhere you did not expect.
What it is typically used for
Persistent muscle tightness that has not responded to stretching, regional pain with a clear muscular component, and stiffness that keeps returning between sessions. It is most useful when a muscle is limiting movement that you then need to retrain — release the restriction, then immediately use the range.
What happens in the session
The area is examined and the relevant points identified by palpation. A fine single-use needle is inserted into the point; you may feel a brief twitch or cramp as it releases. Only a few points are usually treated in one session. Afterwards you will normally be asked to move — the movement is the point of the treatment, not an afterthought.
Aftercare
Aching for a day or so is normal, as is occasional light bruising. Keep moving normally, and use heat if it is comfortable. Contact us rather than waiting if you feel unwell, if bruising is significant, or if you have any breathing difficulty after needling around the chest, shoulder or upper back — that last one is rare, but it is the reason we take a full history first.
Availability
Call +91 98189 11195 to check availability at your nearest centre.
Find an APARC centre near you
APARC Health & Motion has 12 centres across Delhi NCR and Pune. Services, equipment and clinical teams vary by centre — please contact your nearest centre to confirm what is available there.
Medically reviewed by Dr Pushpinder Rana, MPT · Last reviewed: 2 August 2026 · Our clinical team