Side effects of dry needling
Transparency is a core value at To The Point PDX. Even though adverse side effects are rare with dry needling, we feel it’s important to share the existing research on these side effects.
Dry needling is generally a very safe procedure. In fact, a 2020 study in the Military Medicine Journal cited that a total of 2,910 dry needling procedures were completed without any reported adverse events. However, no medical procedure is without risk.
So what are the side effects of dry needling?
According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Manual Manipulation Therapy, the most common adverse events to dry needling include: bleeding, bruising, pain during treatment and pain after treatment. According to this study, bruising was the most common side effect–affecting only 7% of the participants. Minor bleeding, pain during treatment, and pain after treatment were present in 4% or less of the people studied.
These side effects can sometimes be mitigated by the provider, but sometimes they are just the inevitable result of putting a needle into the skin.
Bleeding and bruising
A bruise is defined as blood pooling under the skin causing a black, blue, purple, brown, or yellow discoloration. This usually means that the provider nicked a tiny capillary in the patients’ skin. Capillaries are the smallest blood vessel in the body and measure 5 micrometers in diameters. They are so small that the red blood cells that flow through them need to line up in single file. It’s impossible for a provider to see the capillary on your skin.
External bleeding can also happen at the site of the dry needle puncture. Again, the capillaries are delicate structures that are as big as a cell, and invisible to the naked eye.
Bleeding and bruising is the most common adverse effect and affects less than 8% of dry needling patients,
Pain during treatment and after treatment
Less than 4% of patients report pain during or after treatment. While potentially unpleasant, this side effect isn’t necessarily all bad. The dry needling procedure chemically and structurally changes the muscle cells (link to how dry needling works) - the same process as when you purposely break down muscle fibers during a workout. Leaving your treatment, you might feel as if you’ve been through a major workout - and that’s a positive thing from a healing perspective.
Dry needling can be uncomfortable, but doesn’t have to be. It’s important to seek treatment from a trained and experienced provider. With an inexperienced practitioner, the insertion of the needle can sometimes feel like a bee sting. Dr. Sarah and Chrstina at To The Point PDX both have a combined 30 years of experience and our patients rarely report feeling the needle insertion.
Rare adverse events
As with any medical treatment, dry needling has a few extremely rare and uncommon adverse side effects. Less than 1% of patients experience things like drowsiness, headaches, or nausea. Less than .01% of patients experience fatigue, altered emotions, shaking, itching, claustrophobia and numbness.
Dry needling is estimated to be safer than common pain medications
The estimated risk of significant adverse side effects for common, over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), and paracetamol (Tylenol) range from 14-18% of patients. Out of context, this sounds as if dry needling is safer than aspirin, Advil or Tylenol. Keep in mind that many more patients have been administered these drugs than undergone a dry needling treatment.
The risks of dry needling may sound scary, but all medical treatment–even some of the “safest” medicines in your medicine cabinet–have risks. We always recommend doing research and asking questions of your providers as needed to ensure you are making informed decisions about your healthcare.
When you’re ready to give dry needling a try, To The Point PDX is ready to treat you.