Dry Needling, Experiences/Opinions?

Triathlon Forum
1

I raced the Miami 5150 race and came home with what I thought was a horrible heel/bone bruise from wearing road flats and overpronating more on my right foot. I’ve run 1x the past 10 days, and the area surrounding both sides of my achilles/heel area now has swelled some, and gotten worse over the past 10 days. I can’t walk without pain. I visited a PT today, doesn’t appear to be achilles tendonitis as the pain isn’t on the tendon rather a deep bruise (or fracture…hopefully not) in the calcaneus bone.
PT did trigger point dry needling…and admitted it would likely help more if it was tendonitis, but worth a shot anyways. He needled about 15 places from foot to knee, mostly lower calf. I now can’t walk at all or bend my leg, and the leg is pretty heavy/inflamed/sore feeling. I just need to be able to walk by Saturday…my wedding day, gotta get down the aisle.

Anyone had experience with dry needling? Thoughts/opinions? How long did the soreness last? Any success stories? It sure doesn’t feel good but I’m hoping it helps. Thanks

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I am a runner, and had dry needling done on my soleus and tibialis posterior, as well as in the muscles between my vertebrae for L4 and L5 (all for weakness and pain on my inner calf)

I was definitely very still and sore the afternoon after, as well as the next morning, but then it passed. I found it extremely helpful to go for a walk - the more I moved, the less sore I was.

The dry-needling worked very well – I was skeptical, but I could note the difference even 2 days after the first treatment. My understanding is that it either works for you within 2-3 sessions, or it doesn’t.

I would definitely do it again for any soft tissue injury.

Good luck!

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So, you are having treatment performed before a diagnosis is established? Might want to rule out a calcaneal stress fracture first since your symptoms fit pretty well … Also, dry needling is generally used for more chronic tendonosis type issues, not acute anyway. Hope your wedding day goes well - congrats!