What a trigger point is
A taut band within the muscle that hurts when pressed and also refers pain elsewhere. That is why a knot in the trapezius can give you a headache, or one in the glute can be felt in the leg.
DRY NEEDLING · INVASIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY
Dry needling in Águilas: for the muscle knot that massage won't shift.
A fine-needle technique to release myofascial trigger points and deep muscle knots that don't respond to manual therapy. It is applied by a registered physiotherapist and is included in the session price: we don't charge a supplement for the technique.
✓ Included in the session
✓ Registered physiotherapist
✓ Ultrasound-guided when needed
WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T
What exactly dry needling is
It is called "dry" because the needle injects nothing. The effect does not come from a drug: it comes from the needle itself acting on a very specific point in the muscle.
What the needle does
When it reaches the trigger point it causes a brief, involuntary twitch of the muscle. That response helps the taut band relax, improves local blood flow and reduces sensitivity in the area. All in a few seconds.
What it isn't
It is not acupuncture: we don't work with meridians, but with anatomy and a prior assessment. Nor is it an injection: no drug is introduced. And it is not a complete treatment on its own, as I explain below.
WHEN IT HELPS
Problems where dry needling genuinely helps
We don't use it by default in every session. We suggest it when the assessment shows a clear myofascial component that is holding back your recovery.
Neck and upper back knots
Trapezius, levator scapulae and suboccipital muscles. The most common reason for coming in, especially for people who spend many hours sitting. Here are 5 exercises to complement the work at home.
Cervicogenic headaches
Headache that starts at the back of the neck and rises. When there are active trigger points in the neck muscles, releasing them usually reduces how often and how intensely the episodes occur.
Low back pain with a muscular component
Quadratus lumborum, gluteus medius and piriformis. Especially when the pain always appears with the same movement and there is a very specific spot that reproduces your symptoms when pressed.
Tendinopathies and sports overload
As part of the plan, not as the only treatment. It helps lower the pain enough for you to tolerate progressive loading, which is what really resolves a tendinopathy.
Painful shoulder
Rotator cuff, deltoid and scapular muscles. Combined with scapular control and strength work, especially in swimmers and padel players.
Stiffness after an injury
When the muscle has spent weeks protecting an injured area and stays tight even after the original tissue has healed.
WHAT A SESSION IS LIKE
What exactly happens when you come
You will never walk in and simply be met with a needle. These are the four steps, always in this order.
Assessment
History, examination and locating by palpation the point that reproduces your pain. If that point does not reproduce your symptoms, it is not the point and we don't needle it.
Screening and consent
We go over contraindications, medication and history. I explain what you will feel during and after, and you decide. If you would rather not, there are alternatives.
Needling
Sterile single-use needle, disposable materials and aseptic technique. It takes seconds per point. In anatomically sensitive areas we guide it with ultrasound.
Exercise and guidance
We mobilise the treated area in the same session and you take home specific exercises. Without this part, the trigger point tends to come back.
The needle opens a window. What stops the pain coming back is what we do inside that window: mobility, strength and correcting what caused the problem.
Pedro Mula Vidal · Registered physiotherapist · Clínica MuVi
NOT THE SAME THING
Dry needling, neuromodulation and acupuncture
All three use a needle, and that is where the similarities end. Here is the short version of the difference.
Technique
What it aims to do
When I use it
Dry needling
Release a trigger point within the muscle using the needle itself, injecting nothing.
When there is a specific taut band that reproduces your pain and limits your mobility.
Percutaneous neuromodulation
Apply a current through the needle near a nerve to modulate pain and improve muscle activation.
When there is persistent pain or an inhibited muscle that does not activate well after an injury.
Acupuncture
Works on points and meridians according to the framework of traditional Chinese medicine.
I don't use it. It is not part of my clinical practice or of this service.
LET'S BE CLEAR
When I will and won't use it on you
It makes sense if…
- You have a knot that always comes back in the same place.
- Massage relieves it for a few hours and then the pain comes back just the same.
- There is a specific point that, when pressed, reproduces your pain exactly.
- You need to lower the pain so you can start moving and training.
- You have a tendinopathy or overload injury and the muscular component is holding you back.
I won't use it if…
- You are afraid of needles and would rather not. Respected, no argument.
- There is infection, a wound or a skin condition in the area.
- There is lymphoedema in that limb.
- There is a clotting disorder or you take anticoagulants without a prior assessment.
- There is recent prosthetic material in the area to be treated.
In pregnancy, immunosuppression, epilepsy, metal allergy or anticoagulant use, we assess case by case and coordinate with your doctor if needed. There are always effective needle-free alternatives, and choosing them does not compromise your recovery.
AFTER THE SESSION
What you will feel in the next 48 hours
I would rather you knew before coming, because almost every next-day call is about this and it is completely normal.
Soreness in the area
The most common. Soreness for 24 to 48 hours, similar to after a hard workout. It eases on its own.
A small bruise
A purple spot may appear if the needle catches a capillary. It is harmless and disappears in a few days.
Tiredness or an odd feeling
Some people feel drowsy or heavy for the rest of the day. Drink water, move gently and rest.
When to let me know
If the pain increases a lot after 72 hours, spreading redness with heat appears, or you notice any symptom that worries you, message me. It is rare, but I would rather take a look.
NO SUPPLEMENT FOR THE TECHNIQUE
Dry needling price in Águilas
It is not an extra charged separately. If your case needs it, it is part of the physiotherapy session.
Physiotherapy session
45–60 minutes
€45
- Assessment and manual treatment
- Dry needling included
- Neuromodulation included
- Exercise plan for home
Payment by cash, card or Bizum. We provide an invoice on request so you can claim reimbursement from your insurer. If the session includes an ultrasound assessment (premium session), there is a €15 supplement. If your problem is a sports injury, take a look at the sports physiotherapy in Águilas page.
YOUR PHYSIO
Who applies the dry needling
Invasive physiotherapy requires specific training and anatomical knowledge. It is not a technique to improvise.
Physiotherapist · Founder · Águilas F.C.
Pedro Mula Vidal
I am a registered physiotherapist, founder of Clínica MuVi and Águilas F.C. physiotherapist, a Primera Federación club. Invasive physiotherapy is one of my regular areas of work, both at the clinic and with competing athletes.
I use dry needling when the assessment justifies it, not as a matter of routine. If your case is better resolved with manual therapy and exercise, I tell you and we skip the needle. And if you have reservations, we talk: nobody gets needled here against their will.
Had the same knot for weeks?
Come for an assessment. If dry needling is what you need, it is included in the session.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions about dry needling
Does dry needling hurt?
When the needle reaches the trigger point you will feel a brief muscle twitch, which is the response we are looking for. It is not pleasant, but it lasts an instant. The most common thing afterwards is soreness in the area for 24 to 48 hours, similar to after a hard workout. If at any point the pain is more than you want to tolerate, we stop.
Is it the same as acupuncture?
No. The only thing they share is a fine needle. Acupuncture comes from traditional Chinese medicine and works on points and meridians. Dry needling is a physiotherapy technique based on anatomy: we look for a specific trigger point in a specific muscle because we have first assessed that this muscle is involved in your problem.
How much does it cost? Is it charged separately?
It is not charged separately. Dry needling is included in the price of the physiotherapy session, €45, as is neuromodulation. We don't charge a supplement for the technique: if your case needs it, it is applied within the session. The only supplement is the ultrasound assessment, €15, when the session includes it.
How many sessions are needed?
It depends on how long you have had the problem. A recent knot may respond in one or two sessions. Months of pain, with several muscles involved and an uncorrected underlying cause, needs more time and above all exercise. I give you a realistic estimate at the first assessment.
Does dry needling cure on its own?
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something. The evidence supports that it reduces pain and improves mobility in the short term in myofascial pain, which is a very useful window. But if we don't correct what caused the problem (load, technique, strength, habits), the trigger point comes back. That is why it always goes with exercise.
Is it the same as percutaneous neuromodulation?
No. Dry needling targets a trigger point within the muscle to release it. Neuromodulation applies a current through the needle near a nerve to modulate pain and improve muscle activation. They are different techniques with different goals, and sometimes they are combined in the same plan.
Are there cases where you won't use it on me?
Yes. We don't use it if you have a needle phobia and don't want it, if there is infection or a wound in the area, with lymphoedema in that limb, with clotting disorders not under medical control or if you take anticoagulants without a prior assessment, or over areas with recent prosthetic material. With pregnancy, immunosuppression, epilepsy or metal allergy we assess case by case. There are always alternatives and it is fine to choose them.
Do you use ultrasound to guide the needle?
In the cases that need it, yes. Ultrasound lets us see the tissue in real time and locate the structure precisely, which increases safety in anatomically sensitive areas. It is not necessary in every case: in superficial, accessible muscles, palpation is enough.
Can I train after a session?
On the same day it is best to lower the intensity: you can move, walk and do the gentle exercises we give you, but it is not the day for your hardest session. After 24-48 hours, once the soreness eases, normal progression resumes.
KEEP READING
Related content
5 exercises for neck pain
To complement at home the work we do in the clinic on the neck muscles.
INDIBA: what the evidence says
Another of the clinic's tools, with the same criterion: used when it adds something, not by default.
Sports physiotherapy in Águilas
If your knot comes from training or competing, the full approach is on this page.
Stop treating the symptom every two weeks.
Clínica MuVi · Calle José María Pereda 8, Águilas (Murcia)