You know that knot in your shoulder? The one that’s been there for like six months? You’ve dug your fingers into it. Had your spouse try to massage it out. Stretched. Used a lacrosse ball. Nothing touches it.
Or maybe it’s your calf. Keeps cramping up when you run. Or that band across your upper back that just aches all day long.
Here’s the thing – some muscle problems don’t respond to normal treatments. You can stretch and massage until you’re blue in the face. The knot stays put.
That’s where dry needling comes in. And yeah, it involves needles. But hear me out because this technique actually fixes stuff that nothing else touches.
I’m Dr. John Brockway. I’ve been using chiropractic dry needling at Glendale Chiropractic for years now. It’s honestly one of the most effective tools we have for chronic muscle pain and those trigger points that just won’t quit.
Let me just lay it out. We use really thin needles – same ones they use for acupuncture actually. We stick them directly into those tight, knotted spots in your muscles. The trigger points.
You know how you’ve got that spot that when you press on it, it hurts like all get out and the pain shoots somewhere else? That’s a trigger point. During each needling session we target right into that.
Here’s what happens. The needle pokes a tiny hole in that tight muscle band. Your body goes “hey, something’s happening here” and sends blood and healing stuff to the area. The tight band releases. Blood flow improves. Inflammation goes down. Pain drops way off.
It’s called “dry” needling because we’re not injecting anything. No medicine, no fluid. Just the needle doing its thing. The mechanical disruption is what works.
Most people feel better right away. That knot you’ve had since last winter? Gone or way better after one treatment. Sometimes it’s pretty dramatic.
Trigger points form when muscles get overused, injured, or just stuck in bad positions. Sitting hunched at a computer all day. Lifting something heavy with bad form. Sleeping weird. Stress making your shoulders tight as rocks and creating chronic muscle tension.
Once they form, they don’t just disappear. They sit there causing problems. Blood flow to that area sucks. It hurts. Movement gets limited. And the pain spreads to other areas in predictable patterns that make no sense to you but we see all the time with needling therapy.
Massage feels good but it doesn’t really fix trigger points. The relief is temporary. The tight band is still there underneath. Problem keeps coming back because you never actually released it.
Dry needling deactivates the trigger point. The needle gets in there and disrupts that dysfunctional tissue. The contracted fibers let go. Blood flow comes back. The whole pain cycle breaks.
Your nervous system responds too. Releases endorphins. Resets the pain signals. This is why people walk out going “holy cow I feel so much better” even though we just poked needles in them.
Yeah, this is what everyone wants to know.
There’s a little pinch when the needle goes through your skin. Like getting a shot but not as bad. Once it’s in the muscle, you might not feel much. Or you might feel this deep ache or pressure.
Then when we hit the actual trigger point – this is the weird part – you get what’s called a twitch response. Your muscle just involuntarily contracts and releases. Feels super strange. Like a deep cramp that immediately lets go.
That twitch is actually good. Means we found the exact spot and the trigger point is releasing. First time it happens you’re like “what in the world was that” but then you realize it doesn’t really hurt, just feels bizarre.
Some spots are more intense than others. Neck muscles can be gnarly. Jaw muscles too. Glutes and big leg muscles usually just feel like deep pressure. Most people say it’s uncomfortable but not unbearable. Like a 3-5 out of 10.
Afterward you’ll be sore. Like you did a really hard workout. Usually lasts a day or two then you feel way better than before we needled you.
That Neck and Shoulder Tension Everyone Has Your upper traps are probably a disaster. Sitting at a computer, looking at your phone, stress – it all goes right to those muscles creating chronic muscle tension. We use needling therapy on the upper trap, levator scap, all those muscles creating that can’t-turn-your-head pain. Patients leave with better range of motion than they’ve had in forever.
Headaches That Won’t Quit A lot of headaches come from tight muscles in your neck, jaw, and upper back. We treat the suboccipital muscles at the base of your skull, the masseter (your jaw muscle), SCM in your neck. Patients tell us their headaches drop from 3-4 a week to maybe one a month after therapy.
Low Back Pain That’s Been There Forever QL, piriformis, glute muscles – all these get trigger points that make your low back hurt and send pain down your leg like sciatica. Combined with adjustments and exercises, dry needling often fixes chronic low back stuff that’s been going on for years.
Sports Injuries That Won’t Heal Rotator cuff problems, tennis elbow, runner’s knee, shin splints, plantar fasciitis. Most of these have a muscle component that normal therapy misses. Treating the trigger points with dry needling speeds up recovery big time for active patients.
Jaw Pain From Clenching Your masseter muscle gets insanely tight from grinding your teeth at night. Needling it provides relief you just can’t get any other way. Takes careful technique but really effective.
Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain These conditions involve trigger points all over. Systematic dry needling combined with other therapy modalities can really improve quality of life for patients. Not a cure but makes a big difference.
Everyone gets confused about this because both use needles. Totally different things though.
Acupuncture is traditional Chinese medicine. It’s about energy flow through meridian channels. They place needles at specific points to balance your qi. The whole theory is energetic.
Dry needling is Western medicine based on anatomy and neuroscience. We’re needling specific muscles at specific trigger points we can feel with our hands. It’s mechanical – releasing contracted tissue and resetting pain signals.
Both can help. Just different approaches. Dry needling is more targeted for muscle pain. We’re treating the exact spot that hurts based on examining you and finding the problem.
Athletes dealing with overuse injuries. Office workers with that permanent knot between their shoulder blades. People who’ve tried every therapy and still hurt. Anyone with muscle tension screwing up their movement or life.
We see runners with calf problems that won’t go away. Rock climbers with forearm pain. Desk workers getting headaches three times a week. CrossFitters who’ve been compensating around an injury for so long everything hurts now.
Common thread? Muscle-based pain with trigger points we can actually feel. If I can press on a spot and make your pain worse or recreate your symptoms, our needling services probably help that patient.
I’ve got advanced training in dry needling and have treated tons of patients throughout Denver. Usually we combine it with chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy exercises, whatever else you need. Everything works better together as part of comprehensive therapy.
Typical session goes like this. We figure out which muscles are involved in your pain. I palpate around finding trigger points. Then we systematically treat those spots. Might target 2-3 different areas in one session depending what’s going on with each patient.
Needles stay in anywhere from a few seconds to a couple minutes. Depends on the muscle and how it responds. Whole thing takes 10-12 minutes usually.
Most patients need 3-6 sessions to fully clear out chronic trigger points. New problems might respond in 1-2 treatments. We start about a week apart, then space it out more as you improve. Our personalized dry needling approach adapts to your specific condition and response to treatment.
The trigger points formed for a reason. Usually poor movement patterns, weakness, posture problems, overuse. If we don’t fix why they formed through proper therapy, they come back.
So we combine dry needling with exercises to retrain movement. With adjustments to fix joint problems. With advice about ergonomics and habits causing the issue for each patient.
Goal isn’t making you feel better for a week. It’s fixing what’s actually wrong through comprehensive therapy so you don’t need us anymore.
Yeah, very safe when done by someone who knows what they’re doing. Serious problems are super rare.
You might get sore (already talked about that). Might get some bruising where we needled. Occasionally people feel lightheaded during treatment.
We use sterile needles that get thrown away after. Proper technique avoids all the stuff you don’t want to hit – nerves, blood vessels, organs.
Some people shouldn’t get dry needling. Pregnant women. People with bleeding disorders or on blood thinners. Active infections. Compromised immune system. We go over your medical history first to make sure it’s safe for you.
We start with an exam. Figure out exactly which muscles are the problem and where your trigger points are. I’ll explain what we’re treating and what to expect.
You lie on the table in whatever position gives me access to what I need to treat. We clean the skin. Then start inserting needles. You feel the pinch, then pressure as we work the trigger point.
When you get that twitch response it’s weird but quick. That’s the therapeutic moment right there – trigger point letting go.
After we’re done we might do some gentle stretching, ice or heat, give you instructions for the next day or two. Drink extra water. Move around but take it easy. You’ll be sore tomorrow.
Most people feel looser right after even though soreness comes later. By day 2-3 you should feel noticeably better than when you walked in.
Works great alone but better results when we combine it with other therapy.
With Adjustments – Releasing the muscles makes adjusting joints easier. Adjusting joints takes pressure off muscles. They help each other.
With Physical Therapy Exercises – After we release trigger points, physical therapy retrains movement and strengthens weak spots. Keeps the trigger points from coming back.
With Laser Therapy – Laser reduces inflammation and speeds healing. Together with dry needling gives faster relief.
With Massage Therapy – Deep tissue work after needling flushes out waste products and further releases tight tissue. Good combo.
Addressing all the factors contributing to your pain gets better outcomes faster. Results last longer too.
How is this different from a cortisone shot? Cortisone is medication injected into a joint or tissue. You’re getting medicine. Dry needling uses no medication – just the needle’s mechanical effect releasing the muscle. Different thing entirely.
Will insurance cover it? Lot of plans do when it’s done by licensed providers for appropriate conditions. We’ll check your benefits and let you know.
How long do results last? Depends. New trigger points often stay gone. Chronic stuff might need occasional maintenance. If we fix what caused the problem in the first place, results can stick.
Can you treat multiple areas at once? Yeah, we usually do. But we don’t go crazy. Too many needles in one session makes you really sore. We balance being thorough with not wrecking you.
What should I do after? Drink lots of water. Walk around. Don’t hit the gym hard for a day or two. Heat feels good on sore spots. Soreness peaks around 24 hours then gets better.
We’ve treated hundreds of patients with dry needling in the Denver area. Results speak for themselves.
Runner who couldn’t get past 5 miles without her calf cramping? One session. Ran 10 miles pain-free.
Office worker with daily tension headaches? Three sessions of therapy. Now gets maybe one headache a month.
Construction guy with chronic low back pain considering surgery? Eight weeks of combined treatment. Back to full duty no pain.
These aren’t miracles. This is what happens when you properly treat muscle dysfunction with the right technique. Dry needling releases trigger points. Combined therapy fixes the whole problem. Patients get better.
Located in Glendale. Easy access from anywhere in Denver metro. Cherry Creek, Capitol Hill, Wash Park, Highlands, Park Hill, University, downtown – all 15-20 minutes. We see people from Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton, Englewood, all over.
Got chronic muscle pain or trigger points? You don’t need to keep dealing with it. Our clinic offers treatment that actually works.
Call 720-889-1659 to schedule. We’ll examine you, identify the muscles and trigger points involved, tell you if dry needling’s right for your situation, make a treatment plan.
First session usually includes exam and treatment so you start getting relief that day. Bring recent imaging if you have any. Wear clothes that let us access whatever area needs treatment.
Most people are nervous before their first time. Normal. Once you see how well it works, the nervousness goes away. The results sell themselves.
I’ve been doing this 14+ years. I understand anatomy, movement patterns, how everything connects. That knowledge makes treatment more precise and effective.
We take time to find the actual problem, not just treat symptoms. We combine physical therapy and other treatments intelligently. We teach you how to keep problems from coming back. Goal is fixing what’s wrong, not making you dependent on treatment forever.
Professional office. Friendly staff. We explain everything clearly. No pressure or gimmicks. Just effective therapy from someone who knows what they’re doing.
Chronic muscle pain affects everything. Your work. Your workouts. Your sleep. Your mood. You’ve tried stretching, massage, heat, ice, rest. Maybe it helped for a minute. Maybe it didn’t help at all.
Dry needling releases the trigger points causing your pain. Combined with fixing the underlying dysfunction, it resolves stuff you’ve dealt with for years.
Stop just managing the pain. Fix it.
Call 720-889-1659 today. Let’s figure out what’s wrong and get you feeling better.
Glendale Chiropractic – Expert Dry Needling Treatment in Denver
720-889-1659
425 S. Cherry St., Ste. 307, Glendale, CO 80246
We’re here to help you move better, feel better, get back to doing what you love without pain holding you back.
Phone
720-889-1659
Email
support@myglendalechiro.com
Hours
Mon 9 AM – 12:30 P, 2:30 P – 6:00 P
Tue 9 AM – 12:30 P, 2:30 P – 6:00 P
Wed 9 AM – 12:30 P, 2:30 P – 6:00 P
Thu 9 AM – 12:30 P, 2:30 P – 6:00 P
Fri – Closed
Sat – Closed
Sun – Closed
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