Medical Acupuncture & Dry Needling in Hove & Brighton
Medical acupuncture, often called dry needling, can help to relieve muscle tension and reduce pain. At Pace Physio, it's delivered by a qualified physiotherapist as part of your treatment or as a standalone session, at our clinic in Hove.
It's a good option if you have tight, sore muscles, a stubborn trigger point or pain that's slow to settle, and you can have it whether you're an athlete or simply dealing with everyday aches and pains.
Acupuncture works best alongside exercise and advice that address the cause of your problem, so your physio will help you build a plan that lasts rather than only easing symptoms in the short term.
What is medical acupuncture?
Medical acupuncture uses fine, sterile, single-use needles placed into muscles, tendons and other soft tissues to ease pain and reduce muscle tension. It's based on our understanding of anatomy, physiology and how the nervous system processes pain, rather than traditional Chinese medicine.
You'll often hear it called dry needling, especially when the needles are used to treat tight muscles and trigger points (sore, knotted spots in a muscle). The two terms overlap, and your physio will explain exactly what they're doing and why.
The needles are much finer than the ones used for injections, and most people feel only a mild sensation, such as a dull ache, tingling or warmth, as they go in.
What acupuncture and dry needling can help with
Acupuncture is most useful for musculoskeletal pain and muscle tension. Used alongside exercise and advice, it's commonly used for:
Tight, sore muscles and trigger points, such as the calf, hamstring, glutes, neck and shoulders.
Back and neck pain, including stiffness and muscle spasm.
Tension-type headaches linked to neck and shoulder tension.
Shoulder, hip and knee pain where muscles around the joint are overworked or guarding.
Tendon-related pain, as one part of a loading and rehab programme.
Running and sports injuries, including calf tightness, shin pain, hamstring and gluteal pain, and tension that builds up with heavy training.
Everyday aches and strains from desk work, driving, lifting or being on your feet.
Response varies from person to person. Some people notice relief during or soon after treatment, while others need a few sessions, and some don't respond. We'll review how you're getting on after each treatment and stop if it isn't helping.
Acupuncture as part of your physiotherapy, or on its own
You can have medical acupuncture in two ways:
As part of a physiotherapy appointment. If you're being treated for an injury, your physio may add acupuncture to ease pain and muscle tension so you can exercise and move more comfortably. This is often the best option, because treatment tackles the cause as well as the symptoms. See our running physiotherapy and sports physiotherapy pages for more.
As a standalone session. If you already know what's going on, or simply have muscle tension you'd like treated, you can book acupuncture on its own.
If acupuncture isn't the best option for you, we'll say so and suggest a better approach.
