“Is dry needling recommended for kids?”

My first question is what is your son's age? Second, what is his sport and how long has he been playing? Third, does he play any other sports? Knowing these details can help a clinician better answer the "shoulds" of how to treat. Overall, dry needling can be very helpful in reducing trigger points within a taut band in a muscle. However it is most effective when combined with appropriate follow-up retraining to reset the muscles involved. It is rarely a one-and-done scenario. Depending on your son's age, I might be hesitant to dive into such an invasive treatment without trying other modalities and interventions first. Most importantly, seeing that he has good length-tension relationships throughout his body so that he is not prone to injury and can play his preferred sport(s) injury free.

Dry needling can help reduce muscular tension, improve flexibility, and alleviate pain by targeting trigger points. For kids, it should be performed by a qualified practitioner experienced with pediatric patients. Discuss concerns with your doctor to ensure it’s the best approach for your son’s specific needs and sports-related tension.

If stretching and massage alone will no help his muscular tension, dry needling may be a good adjunct and is safe for older children who are aware of needling and not scared by needles. The major thing which causes therapists to shy away from needling in pediatrics is the fear factor... they think of larger needles like those used for injections. The needles used for dry needling have no "hole", so they are very thin, a monofilament, and in most areas do not product pain at all. For an adolescent athlete, dry needling is very helpful but should never be the ONLY modality used. The cause of the muscular tension should be determined and the treatment modalities are most effective when directed toward that diagnosis (such as alignment issues, etc.). Thank you for your question!!

Dry needling would be helpful

Dry needling isn’t recommended for kids under the age of 12. Targeted stretching would be more beneficial. Dry needling can release trigger points/knots in tight muscles. Most therapists won’t jump straight to dry needling. Even if dry needling is performed a stretching program should be adhered to after in order to decrease risk for re-injury

Dry needling is another treatment option to assist in the treatment of muscle dysfunction and is safe for adolescents. I would recommend finding a local PT with some experience in needling his age group. Good luck.

Yes, we need a prescription from the physician.