Latitude Blog
What is Dry Needling?
By: Chris Gumbs Published on: 23/07/2025Dry needling is the insertion of an acupuncture needle, a monofilament non-medicated stainless steel needle, into the soft tissues of the body, typically into a myofascial trigger point. Common needle widths are between .16 mm to .30 mm, much thinner than the needles used for typical medical injections. A trigger point is a taut, hyperirritable band found within a muscle which can cause a characteristic pattern of pain locally or at a distance from the trigger point. Weakness, abnormal recruitment of muscles, a loss of range of motion, headaches, disturbed sleep, and even tinnitus are also characteristic of trigger points. When stimulated by the insertion of a needle it will cause a muscle twitch, accompanied by a strong sensory and autonomic response. The sensory component can manifest itself as a variety of sensations (i.e. burning, aching, tingling) and can even reproduce the same pain a client regularly complains about. The autonomic component will sometimes cause sweating or even goosebumps. Following the twitch, the muscle will reflexively relax significantly.
Butt in an ashtray, foot in a coffin?
By: Chris Gumbs Published on: 16/07/2025You’ve probably heard that sitting is the new smoking, but is standing necessarily better? I think it’s important to realize that a standing desk on it’s own won’t solve all of your problems.
