DRY NEEDLING + TRIGGER POINT ACUPUNCTURE
Dry needling has gotten popular fast - and for good reason.
It works.
Physical therapists, chiropractors, and other practitioners bring their own expertise to it, especially when it comes to muscles and movement.
But needles are OUR craft.
Acupuncturists spend 3-4 years in graduate-level training focused on needle technique, depth, insertion, and how the body responds to certain points on certain channels. It's not one of the things we do - it's THE thing we do. We've been doing this for thousands of years. We just didn't call it "dry needling" until recently.
At Point Prescription, you get that depth of needle expertise AND a full treatment. The trigger point release for immediate relief, the acupuncture for resetting the deeper pattern in your body, cupping if you need it, and true rest time on the table to let everything settle in.
WHAT IS DRY NEEDLING?
Dry needling - sometimes called trigger point acupuncture - uses thin, sterile needles inserted directly into muscle trigger points - those tight, angry knots that cause pain, restrict movement, and refer pain to other parts of your body.
When the needle hits the trigger point, the muscle has a brief twitch response. That twitch is the muscle releasing - letting go of the tension pattern it's been holding. Blood flow increases, inflammation decreases, and your nervous system gets the signal to stop guarding that area.
It's called "dry" because there's no medication or injection involved. Just the needle doing the work.
Many people feel significant relief after one session. Most issues take a few treatments to fully resolve, especially if the tension pattern has been building for months or years. And a lot of our patients end up keeping dry needling and acupuncture as part of their regular wellness routine - not because something's wrong, but because it keeps them performing at their best.
WHY DRY NEEDLING FROM AN ACUPUNCTURIST HITS DIFFERENT
We know the muscles and how they work - the anatomy, the trigger points, the referral patterns. That's the dry needling piece, and we're good at it.
But we can also practice acupuncture. Which means we can get to the constitutional reason WHY you're having this problem in the first place - the stress pattern, the compensation, the overactive nervous system. That's something dry needling alone can't touch.
And here's the part people don't expect: dry needling can be intense. When a trigger point releases, your body needs time to process that. At Point Prescription, you get that time. You're not getting needled and then immediately leaving - you get to rest on the table, let your nervous system calm down, and integrate the treatment.
When you come in, you get:
Dry needling to release the trigger point and break the tension pattern
Acupuncture to address the deeper reason the tension keeps building - stress, nervous system dysregulation, the stuff underneath the knot
Cupping or other modalities if your body needs it
Real time to rest - 45+ minutes on the table where your nervous system can downshift and the treatment can do its work
That combination - release, treat, rest, integrate - is why our patients' results tend to stick, and why people stick around and send their friends.
WHAT DRY NEEDLING + SPORTS ACUPUNCTURE CAN HELP WITH
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Hamstring strains, IT band issues, shin splints, rotator cuff tension, plantar fasciitis, runner's knee, tennis elbow. Whether you're a weekend hiker, a gym regular, or a competitive athlete, sports acupuncture combined with dry needling helps you recover faster and stay ahead of recurring injuries. This is Colorado. You're active. We get it. We keep you that way.
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Neck tightness, upper back tension, low back pain, jaw clenching (TMJ). If you've got a spot that's been tight for months and massage only helps for a day, dry needling gets deeper.
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Many chronic headaches originate from trigger points in the neck, shoulders, and jaw. Releasing those trigger points can reduce both frequency and intensity.
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If you sit at a computer all day, you probably have trigger points in your traps, levator scapulae, and suboccipitals. (Translation: the muscles that make your neck and shoulders feel like concrete.)
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Scar tissue and compensatory tension patterns after surgery respond well to dry needling combined with acupuncture.
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Trigger points in the glutes and piriformis can compress the sciatic nerve. Dry needling can release that compression.
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A lot of our athletes don't wait until something hurts. Regular sports acupuncture and dry needling keeps their body ahead of the training load - fewer injuries, faster recovery between sessions, better mobility.
WHAT A DRY NEEDLING SESSION LOOKS LIKE HERE
your first visit
We start with a full assessment - not just where it hurts, but what's driving the pattern. Then we get to work. Dry needling on the areas that need it most, plus acupuncture to support the release and help your nervous system calm down. Many people fall asleep on the table.
follow-up visits
Based on how your body responded to the last session and whatever's come up since, we go after the trigger points that need work, support everything with acupuncture, and give you the time to rest.
AFTER SESSIONS
Some soreness in the treated area is normal for 24-48 hours - similar to the feeling after a deep tissue massage. Drink water. Move. You'll likely notice improved range of motion and decreased pain within a day or two.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT DRY NEEDLING + SPORTS ACUPUNCTURE
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Most people feel a brief, deep ache when the needle hits a trigger point - that's the muscle releasing. It lasts a second or two. Many patients say it's a "good hurt" - like when someone finds the exact right spot during a massage. The rest of the treatment is deeply relaxing.
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They use the same needles. Dry needling specifically targets muscle trigger points to release tension and pain. Acupuncture works on broader patterns - nervous system regulation, circulation, inflammation, stress response. At Point Prescription, you get both in the same session because we're trained in both. That's the advantage of seeing an acupuncturist for dry needling.
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Three things: more needle training, more time on the table, and a more complete treatment. We don't just release the trigger point - we treat the pattern that created it. And you get 45+ minutes to rest and let the treatment work, not a rushed 15-minute session.
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Depends on how long the issue has been building. Acute problems (recent injury, sudden onset) often respond in a few sessions. Chronic tension patterns that have been developing for years usually take a few weeks of weekly sessions, and then a few weeks of maintenance sessions (every 2-4 weeks). We'll give you a realistic timeline after your first visit, and check in at each subsequent visit.
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Most people get dry needling from a physical therapist or chiropractor, so a lot of people don't realize they can get it at an acupuncture practice. At Point Prescription, we combine dry needling with acupuncture in the same visit - so you get the trigger point release AND deeper support for what's driving the tension in the first place. We offer it at both our Denver and Boulder locations.
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Point Prescription offers dry needling and sports acupuncture in Denver (Highlands, 2150 W 29th Ave) and Boulder (825 S. Broadway). You can book online or text us at 720.696.0511.
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Yes - and that's exactly how we do it. Every dry needling session here includes acupuncture. You're getting trigger point release AND full-body treatment in one visit. It's one of the biggest advantages of coming to an acupuncture practice for dry needling.
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PTs tend to spend more of your visit on diagnosis, exercises, and rehab - dry needling is one piece of that. Here, the needlework IS the visit. You get hands-on treatment (trigger point release, acupuncture, cupping, guasha if you need it) plus time to rest and let everything integrate. Different approach, different experience.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“Chronic pain limited my activities and sleep for years. I tried my doctor, chiropractor, massage therapists - nothing really helped. Their treatment plan was key to my healing. I'm forever grateful!”
— Emanuela
"I had a pinched nerve so painful I could barely move, with only 2 weeks before a big ski trip. Acupuncture and cupping rapidly improved my shoulder and I was able to ski! It made such a difference that I now go every two weeks."
— LEXI
"I had unimaginable back pain while waiting for my MRI appointment. Both times I've come here I've fallen asleep on the table, then gone home and had the best sleep of my life."
— marisa
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Point Prescription | Acupuncture + Wellness in Boulder + Denver
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