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Dry needling means placing a thin, solid filament needle into a taut band of muscle or a trigger point. Nothing is injected. At Source Chiropractic in Clarksville, it's done by a chiropractic physician, as one part of a plan for the muscle and soft-tissue problems we find on your exam.
What do we use dry needling for?
In our office, dry needling may be used on the muscle and soft-tissue part of a nerve, muscle or joint problem, when the exam shows it's a good fit. That means taut bands and trigger points we find on exam in the neck, upper back and shoulder, the low back and hip, and the muscles that play a part in some headaches. It's also one of the things we may use for plantar fasciitis and heel pain, when the exam turns up a muscle finding. The needle goes to a finding, not to a diagnosis, so whether it belongs in your plan depends on what the exam shows.
Who does dry needling at Source Chiropractic?
At our office, dry needling is done by Dr. Jeff Morrey, Dr. Cindy Morrey and Dr. Ali Kimbrough. Tennessee's rules for chiropractic physicians list dry needling among the treatments a chiropractic physician has the authority to perform, under Rule 0260-02-.02(2)(b), alongside adjustment, manipulation, manual therapy, rehabilitation and physical agent modalities.
What does a dry needling session feel like?
A thin, solid needle goes through the skin and into the target muscle. Most people feel a quick pinch, then a deep ache or heaviness in the muscle, and sometimes a brief twitch they can't control. Those are the responses we're looking for. The needles are sterile and single-use, and they're thrown away after your session. It's common to be sore at the spot for a day or two afterward, and mild bruising can happen. We usually combine a needling session with other care in the same visit, such as an adjustment or exercise guidance, instead of giving it alone.
Is dry needling the same as acupuncture?
No. The needles look alike, which is why people mix the two up. Acupuncture is its own practice, with its own theory and training, and in Tennessee a chiropractic physician can practice it only after 250 hours of accredited acupuncture education, a national exam and a letter from the Board, under Rule 0260-02-.02(4). Dry needling is a muscle technique: we aim the needle at a specific muscle finding from your exam, and what we're after is a local response in that tissue. If it's acupuncture you're looking for, call us and we'll tell you if it's offered here and by whom.
What the research on dry needling shows
The research that fits how we use dry needling looks at trigger points and tight muscle bands in the neck, the low back and the heel. In each, trials found less pain with dry needling than with the comparison:
- Neck. A 2026 review of five trials in chronic neck pain found dry needling reduced pain more than the comparison groups, which were sham needling, physical therapy or no treatment. It wasn't significantly better for day-to-day function.
- Low back. A 2018 review of 11 trials with 802 people who had low back pain and trigger points found dry needling reduced pain more than other treatments right after treatment, and dry needling combined with other treatment did better for pain than dry needling alone. The authors called the effects at follow-up unclear.
- Heel. In a 2014 trial of 84 people with plantar heel pain, real dry needling once a week for six weeks reduced first-step pain more than sham needling, by less than the amount the authors considered clinically important.
Across muscle and joint conditions, a 2017 review of 13 trials found dry needling may reduce pain in the first 12 weeks compared with sham or no treatment. At six to twelve months the difference wasn't significant, and it wasn't better than other treatments for function. Reviewers rate this evidence very low to moderate in quality, and most of the trials were of physical therapists, so it describes the technique rather than predicting your own result.
Is dry needling safe?
Most side effects are minor and short-lived. In a prospective survey of 7,629 treatments by trained physical therapists in Ireland, the common ones were bruising, bleeding and pain during or after treatment, and no significant event occurred.
Serious harm is uncommon, but it's real. A 2026 review of 59 studies found major adverse events reported in 0% to 0.43% of treatments, and case reports describe pneumothorax, a punctured lung, after needling of the muscles over the chest wall and around the shoulder blade. That risk comes from placing a needle near the lungs, and it's the reason technique, angle and depth matter so much. If chest pain or shortness of breath starts during or after a session, call 911 or go to an emergency department and tell them where the needles were placed. Don't wait to reach us first.
Before a first session, we need to know if you take blood-thinning medication, have a bleeding disorder, an implanted device or a compromised immune system, are pregnant, or have a fear of needles. Each of those matters when we decide if dry needling is right for you.
Other options for a tight, sore muscle
Dry needling is one option among several. Exercise is another: a Cochrane review found that exercise probably improves pain in chronic low back pain compared with no treatment, usual care or placebo, and NICE, which writes the clinical guidelines for England's NHS, puts activity and exercise first for low back pain. Supportive shoes, insoles and stretching are first steps for heel pain. A licensed massage therapist works out of our office (massage therapy), and adjustment and manual therapy are part of care when a joint finding is part of the picture. We'll go over the options that fit you at your exam, and if what we find isn't something we treat, we'll tell you.
How much does dry needling cost?
The new-patient chiropractic offer has its own terms. For dry needling, ask the office what each session costs, how many sessions we expect, and when we'll review your progress.
Book a visit
If a tight, sore muscle in your neck, back, shoulder, hip or heel has been bothering you, a first visit is where we'd work out whether dry needling belongs in your plan. If we are not able to help you with your problem or are unable to reduce your pain levels, we will make sure to give you a recommendation to another experienced provider. Book online or contact us.
Research, with context.
Selected published sources behind what we've written, each with what it found and what it can't tell us. We give you both halves because no paper can diagnose you or predict how your own care will go.
Effects of dry needling on functioning and pain relief in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Five randomized trials of adults with chronic nonspecific neck pain, comparing dry needling, alone or added to physiotherapy, with sham, physical therapy or nothing.
What it foundDry needling reduced pain more than the comparison groups, but was not significantly better for function on the Neck Disability Index.
What it can't tell usFive trials only, and the authors call for further high-quality studies. It doesn't show dry needling is better than manual or physical therapy for function.
Publication details & citation
de Sire et al. Effects of dry needling on functioning and pain relief in patients with chronic nonspecific neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2026. DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2529423.
Read the publication recordEvidence for Dry Needling in the Management of Myofascial Trigger Points Associated With Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
11 randomized trials, 802 patients with low-back pain and myofascial trigger points.
What it foundDry needling of trigger points reduced pain intensity and disability more than other treatments immediately after treatment, and dry needling plus other treatment did better for pain than dry needling alone.
What it can't tell usModerate evidence for the post-treatment effect only. The authors called the superiority for disability, and the effects at follow-up, unclear.
Publication details & citation
Liu et al. Evidence for Dry Needling in the Management of Myofascial Trigger Points Associated With Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2017.06.008.
Read the publication recordEffectiveness of trigger point dry needling for plantar heel pain: a randomized controlled trial
84 people with plantar heel pain of at least one month, given real or sham trigger point dry needling once a week for six weeks.
What it foundAt six weeks, real dry needling reduced first-step pain and foot pain more than sham needling. Minor, short-lived adverse events followed 32% of real needling appointments and under 1% of sham appointments.
What it can't tell usThe difference between the groups was smaller than the minimal important difference, and the therapist couldn't be blinded. The authors say the effect should be weighed against how often the minor adverse events happened.
Publication details & citation
Cotchett et al. Effectiveness of trigger point dry needling for plantar heel pain: a randomized controlled trial. Physical Therapy. 2014. DOI: 10.2522/ptj.20130255.
Read the publication recordThe Effectiveness of Trigger Point Dry Needling for Musculoskeletal Conditions by Physical Therapists: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
13 randomized trials of dry needling performed by physical therapists for musculoskeletal pain, compared with sham, no treatment or another intervention.
What it foundIn the immediate to 12-week period, dry needling may reduce pain and raise pressure pain threshold compared with sham or no treatment. At 6 to 12 months the difference was not statistically significant, and it was not superior to other treatments for function.
What it can't tell usEvidence was rated very low to moderate quality. The trials were of physical therapists using mixed techniques across mixed conditions; the result does not describe every needle placed by every clinician.
Publication details & citation
Gattie et al. The Effectiveness of Trigger Point Dry Needling for Musculoskeletal Conditions by Physical Therapists: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2017. DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2017.7096.
Read the publication recordAdverse events following trigger point dry needling: a prospective survey of chartered physiotherapists
39 physiotherapists in Ireland trained in trigger point dry needling, recording 7,629 treatments over ten months.
What it foundMild adverse events followed 19% of treatments: bruising (7.6%), bleeding (4.7%), pain during treatment (3.0%) and pain afterwards (2.2%) were the common ones. No significant adverse event occurred, giving an estimated upper risk of 0.04% or less.
What it can't tell usOne training lineage, one country, and clinicians reporting on themselves. A survey that records no serious event over 7,629 treatments puts a ceiling on the risk; it doesn't show the risk is zero, and case reports elsewhere document serious harm.
Publication details & citation
Brady et al. Adverse events following trigger point dry needling: a prospective survey of chartered physiotherapists. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy. 2014. DOI: 10.1179/2042618613Y.0000000044.
Read the publication recordFrequency and severity of adverse events associated with dry needling: a systematic review and meta-analysis
59 studies: case reports and series, surveys of 2,380 professionals, and trials and observational studies covering 1,947 patients.
What it foundMinor adverse events were common, reported in 0% to 48% of treatments depending on the study. Major adverse events were uncommon per treatment (0% to 0.43%) but were reported by a meaningful share of clinicians over a whole career.
What it can't tell usWhat counted as an event, and how it was reported, differed widely between studies. The rates describe the literature as a whole, not any one clinician, technique or body region.
Publication details & citation
Rabanal-Rodríguez et al. Frequency and severity of adverse events associated with dry needling: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy. 2026. DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzag050.
Read the publication recordPneumothorax as a complication of dry needling technique
Four patients treated for pneumothorax after dry needling of the shoulder or neck region at one Belgian university hospital over 15 months.
What it foundThe authors conclude that pneumothorax after dry needling is not extremely rare, and that consent should name it as a considerable risk for needling in the neck, shoulder or chest region.
What it can't tell usA case series establishes that a harm can happen, not how often. Frequency estimates come from the systematic review of adverse events, not from this series.
Publication details & citation
Bontinck et al. Pneumothorax as a complication of dry needling technique. ERJ Open Research. 2024. DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00156-2024.
Read the publication recordExercise therapy for chronic low back pain
249 trials of exercise therapy in adults with chronic nonspecific low-back pain.
What it foundExercise probably improves pain compared with no treatment, usual care or placebo. Average improvements in function were smaller.
What it can't tell usThe programs, and what they were compared with, varied. The review doesn't point to one best exercise for everyone, and it doesn't apply to a new fracture, an infection or a neurological problem that's getting worse.
Publication details & citation
Hayden et al. Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009790.pub2.
Read the publication record
Our editorial policy explains how to read these sources and what our clinical-review labels mean.