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Dry Needling Relief for Tension Headaches

Headaches are among the most debilitating ailments we experience, with tension headaches being the most frequent. A person is diagnosed with tension headaches if they have the following:

  • Headaches more than 15 days a month for longer than three months
  • Headaches lasting hours-to-days
  • Headaches demonstrating at least two of these four characteristics
    • Bilateral location
    • Pressure or tightness (non-pulsating)
    • Mild-to-moderate intensity
    • Not aggravated by routine physical activity

How Dry Needling Helps Tension Headaches

Studies have shown that muscle trigger points in the neck and shoulder as well as surrounding tendons and ligaments can reproduce symptoms. Physical therapy is the most popular non-pharmacological treatment for tenson headaches.

Physical therapist applying dry needles to patient's neck and shoulder
Physical therapist applying dry needles to patient’s neck and shoulder

While treatments often include manual therapies like manipulation and mobilization of the neck and surrounding soft tissue, dry needling has been found to significantly reduce the symptoms of tension headaches.

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Dry needling is the use of small needles that are inserted into trigger points or other soft tissue to reduce neuromuscular pain, improve range of motion, and increase function.

Dry needling helps decrease pain by altering circulation and blood flow, decreasing inflammation, and desensitizing the nerve endings that causing pain.

Patient relaxing after dry needles have been applied
Patient relaxing after dry needles have been applied

Although it has many similarities to Chinese acupuncture, the underlying goals of physical therapy dry needling differ from that of traditional acupuncture. This relatively painless treatment can provide quick relief to many musculoskeletal conditions, including tension headaches.

The state of Utah requires physical therapists to receive specialized training and certification before performing dry needling. This training includes over 50 hours of clinical work as well as supervised treatments, ensuring you receive the best care possible.

At Align Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, our certified Physical Therapist will examine the muscles and joints of your neck and evaluate if dry needling would benefit you.

Click below or call (801) 704-9405 today to see how we can help you get relief from tension headaches.

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The following articles were used as a resource

Gagnon, P., Dunning, J., Bliton, P., Charlebois, C., Henry, N., Gorby, P., & Mourad, F. (2024). Dry needling in the management of chronic tension type headache associated with levator scapulae syndrome: A case report. Clinical Case Reports, 12, e8858.

Dunning, J., Butts, R., Mourad, F., Young, I., Flannagan, S., & Perreault, T. (2014). Dry needling: A literature review with implications for clinical practice guidelines. Physical Therapy Reviews, 19(4), 252–265.