Why Dry Needling?
The Power of Dry Needling
Unlock your body's full potential with Dry Needling—a powerful osteopathic and physiotherapy technique designed to target muscle trigger points, crush pain, and elevate your mobility.
In a nutshell
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a game-changing, specialized technique that targets muscular trigger points with precision-engineered thin needles to rapidly relieve pain and unlock your body's ultimate mobility.
Treatment process
Thin needles are placed in specific anatomical structures by trained therapists to deactivate the trigger points. This technique can be very useful, especially to target deeper muscles.
Mechanism of action
Relieve muscle tension with targeted stimuli that boost blood circulation and dissolve painful contractions.
Difference from acupuncture
Focused on muscular trigger points instead of energy pathways, leveraging Western anatomical knowledge, and aiming for immediate physical reactions.
Dry Needling in detail
Dry Needling is an effective, minimally invasive addition to manual trigger point therapy, which we practice at BodyLab | Physiotherapy Zurich. With this treatment method, an acupuncture needle is inserted specifically into previously identified trigger points in your muscles. This technique triggers the so-called "twitch response," which is often harder to achieve with manual treatment. The goal is the same as with classic trigger point therapy: deactivating active trigger points that are causing your pain.
Thanks to our intensive training, we possess sound theoretical and practical knowledge in anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. Dry Needling leads to releasing the contracted area in the taut band and activates an inflammatory response after treatment. The result: your muscle relaxes and your Conditions disappear. Our experienced physiotherapists in Zurich use this therapy in a goal-oriented way, both for athletes and for patients with everyday complaints. We frequently use Dry Needling for tension headaches, for shoulder impingement, for calcific tendonitis of the shoulder, and for jaw complaints (CMD). You can read more about this in our articles on fascia, on stress and tmj treatment, and on back pain.
Dry Needling is an integral part of our physiotherapy and osteopathy treatments. Under prescribed physiotherapy, basic insurance (KVG / UVG / IV / MV) covers the costs according to the standard tariff; as part of osteopathic care, many supplementary insurance plans (complementary medicine) contribute to the costs. Please clarify your coverage with your insurance provider in advance.
Who is this for?
Who is dry needling suitable for?
We highly recommend Dry Needling to target acute and chronic muscle tension, release trigger points, and unlock your full range of motion.
Athletes (for prevention and rehabilitation)
Athletes with injuries or muscle tensions
Individuals with pain
Individuals with chronic pain
People with desk jobs
Office workers with neck or back pain
After surgery
Patients in rehab after surgery
Got more questions about Dry Needling? We've got answers.
What is a Trigger Point?
A trigger point is a highly sensitive knot in your muscle tissue that can cause local or radiating pain when pressed. These points often develop from overuse or injuries, holding you back from your full mobility. We target and release trigger points directly with our expert Dry Needling therapy. Trigger points can be treated manually through dedicated trigger point therapy, or with ultimate precision using Dry Needling.
How Deep Do the Needles Go?
The depth of the needles during Dry Needling is fully customized, varying according to the targeted muscle and body region. We insert the needles anywhere from a few millimeters up to 6 cm (for the gluteus maximus). Superficial muscles require only a light touch, while deeper muscle layers demand a greater depth to unlock relief. Our therapists always tailor the depth to match your individual needs and body goals.
What to Expect & FAQ
What can you expect from your session?
With Dry Needling, we target sterile acupuncture needles directly into the trigger points of your tight muscles. Despite the ultra-thin needles, you might feel a brief prick, often accompanied by a characteristic ache. During the therapy, the muscle may twitch slightly—a great sign that the trigger point is successfully releasing. This is how we dissolve your tension right at the source.
Your dedicated team of specialists
Help Center
Discover Dry Needling at BodyLab
What exactly is a trigger point?
Trigger points, also known as myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), can...
Learn more
Trigger Point Assessment
During your personalized, one-on-one session, our physical therapist will dive deep to understand your goals...
Manual Trigger Point Therapy
Manual trigger point therapy is a hands-on...
Learn more
Dry Needling Trigger Point Therapy
Dry needling is a powerful, game-changing addition to your...
Learn more
The Evolution of Manual Trigger Point Therapy
Research on muscle pain ..
Learn more