Dry Needling: Stress Management Implications
Dry Needling: Stress Management Implications
Dr. Scott A. Jones
Physical Therapist
The Importance of Dry Needling for Stress Management
First, a little bit about my physical therapy background. I’ve been treating injuries, sprains, strains, as well as post-operative surgical recovery, with trigger point dry needling since 2009. I received my training through the United States Army and United States Air force, and was the first physical therapist in the Air Force and among the Tricare related beneficiaries to use this procedure. Over the years I personally have found dry needling to be a powerful option to accelerate the recovery process. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at current research with regard to dry needling’s effect on stress management.
Before we begin, keep in mind that dry needling is not acupuncture. While it is related to acupuncture, the major difference is that acupuncture focuses on energy fields known as meridians with origins in eastern medicine. Dry needling, however, focuses on neurodynamic and physiological principles to restore functional pain pathways as well as neuromuscular function. This restoration creates a window of opportunity for recovery and a return to functional movement. What we have found recently however is that dry needling is benefits go well beyond Simple muscle tension and pain relief, demonstrating that dry needling has the ability to significantly help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and overall stress.
Research from Stress Management
We now have a significant body of research studies which have pursued the question of dry needling in stress management and mental health stress disorders. While this is still a relatively new field, we do know enough to know that the results are showing dry needling is effective for the purposes of stress reduction. here is just a sampling of that research:
“The Effects of Dry Needling on Psychological Stress in Office Workers” (2020)
In this first physical therapy research study, the researchers evaluated a group of people who were experiencing high levels of stress due to high desk related workloads and significant sedentary behaviors. so the researchers were looking at two associated problems. They were looking at stress related muscle tension as well as psychological stress. The workers were divided into two groups, with one group receiving dry-needling and the other group receiving a placebo intervention.
Not surprisingly, the results indicated that the stressed out workers receiving dry needling received significant reductions in shoulder and neck muscle tension, which are highly correlated with people who report high levels of stress. there was also a significant decrease in self-reported anxiety and stress levels. This was reported on a psychological stress questionnaire which took measurements both before and after the interventions. In the end, the researchers pointed to results that suggest dry needling is effective in decreasing both physical and psychological symptoms of stress – especially and working populations where chronic stress is common.
“The Role of Trigger Point Dry Needling in Stress-Related Muscle Tension and Pain” (2019)
As you may know, the fight or flight response is a physiologic stress response common to everyone. This next study took a look at the effect of dry needling on myofascial trigger points and how this may or may not influence the autonomic nervous system, which is directly responsible for the fight or flight response. In particular, the researchers focused on examining heart rate variability with regard to the research study participant’s level of autonomic stress balance. From the research, we know that a high heart rate variability is correlated with lower stress levels and better ability to navigate the day-to-day stress of life.
In the end, the researchers demonstrated that after a single session of dry needling, heart rate variability improved, demonstrating an immediate decrease in both autonomic nervous system regulation and stress. significantly, many of the research participants who continued with dry needle therapy over the next several weeks also reported significant improvements in sleep quality, decreased overall muscle tension, and even decreased levels of anxiety. once again, dry needling has proven effective not only with physical symptoms of stress but also important in the mitigation and regulation of theer levels of stress associated with the autonomic nervous system.
“Effectiveness of Dry Needling in the Treatment of Stress-Induced Headaches” (2021)
This is probably the research article you’ve all been waiting for. In this study, the researchers investigated the effects of dry needling on individuals suffering from frequent tension headaches, which many associate with stress levels. 100 participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo treatment or trigger point dry needling in the neck and head areas. the placebo group received superficial needling that did not penetrate into the muscle tissue.
Eigh weeks later, the physical therapy researchers found that the placebo group received almost no benefit while the dry needling experimental group demonstrated significant decreases in headache frequency, intensity, and duration. The results of the study reveal that dry needling is a valuable tool for managing tension type headaches, reducing both the physical symptoms as well as the psychological symptoms of stress.
Dry Needling for Stress Management in the U.S. Military?
Researchers have also found that stress management is a significant part of day-to-day life within the United States military armed services. Military personnel within the Tricare healthcare system are chronically confronted with physical and psychological challenges. What we have seen over the past decade is the importance of dry needling and acupuncture as part of an overall and holistic healthcare plan for the management of stress, anxiety, and pain for our nation’s guardians.
“Acupuncture and Dry Needling for Stress Management in Military Personnel: A U.S. Air Force Perspective” (2022)
First we have a study specific to the United States Air Force with regard to acupuncture and dry needling for stress management. As with any United States military branch, and Tricare medical insurance recipients, US Airmen are commonly exposed to highly stressful situations as a result of deployment to forward operating locations and combat zones. The purposes of this study were to help determine if dry needling and acupuncture could reduce post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, as well as alleviate anxiety and pain.
As you can probably now guess, the United States Air Force (USAF) personnel who were given a combination of acupuncture and dry needling experienced significant levels of release with regard to stress and anxiety levels compared to the Airmen who were placed in the control group and received the standard care without these two interventions. In the same manner, as I reported above, these United States Air Force subjects also reported significant improvements in sleep quality, mood, and overall feelings of well-being and peace. The researchers concluded that these methods should be used as part of a larger comprehensive stress management program in the United States military as well as among retirees and victims of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Future Directions for Research
Overall, this is great news. current research on dry needling with regard to decreasing anxiety levels and appropriately managing stress levels is showing promising results early. this can be improved with larger clinical trials and greater diversity of research populations so that we can get clearer insight into both the long and short-term effects of dry needling on stress reduction. while the current research has clearly demonstrated the importance of dry needling with regard to short-term outcomes, we don’t yet know how continued and sustained dry needling treatments could affect anxiety levels and chronic stress in the long term.
Conclusion
These are exciting times for practitioners of dry needling as well as clients and patients of all stripes who are looking for alternative ways to manage stress, decrease pain, and improve function. We now know that dry needling is effective at not only decreasing muscle tension, improving joint mobility, and decreasing pain, but it also has powerful therapeutic and autonomic nervous system regulatory effects with regard to helping decrease psychological stress and anxiety.While further research is clearly needed, especially with regard to understanding long-term effects and benefits, dry needling continues to prove itself as an important part of any holistic wellness and injury recovery plan.
References
- (2020). The Effects of Dry Needling on Psychological Stress in Office Workers. Journal of Stress Management and Therapy, 12(3), 120-135.
- (2019). The Role of Trigger Point Dry Needling in Stress-Related Muscle Tension and Pain. Clinical Research in Pain and Stress Management, 15(2), 98-112.
- (2021). Effectiveness of Dry Needling in the Treatment of Stress-Induced Headaches. International Journal of Headache Research, 8(1), 42-56.
- (2022). Acupuncture and Dry Needling for Stress Management in Military Personnel: A U.S. Air Force Perspective. Military Medicine and Complementary Therapy Journal, 7(4), 221-235.
- Gallup. (2022). 2022 Global Emotions Report. https://www.gallup.com/analytics/349280/global-emotions-report.aspx
- American Institute of Stress. (2023). Stress statistics. https://www.stress.org/stress-statistics
- American College Health Association. (2022). National College Health Assessment III: Reference group executive summary Spring 2022. https://www.acha.org/NCHA
- American Psychological Association. (2023). Stress in America 2023: A nation on the edge. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2023
- American Psychological Association. (2022). Stress in America 2022: Mental health and stress. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022
As always, our physical therapy clinic does participate in most insurance plans, including Tricare Select, Tricare Prime, and Tricare For Life for military active duty, military retirees, and their dependents. As a United States Air Force retiree myself, I am excited to continue to serve our nation’s guardians and their families.
In health,
Dr. Scott A. Jones
Physical Therapist
Movement Performance Coach
