Following injuries or other degenerative processes, many athletes suffer from muscular tightness and spasm, otherwise known as trigger points. This can lead to secondary dysfunction such as chronic pain, tendinitis, decreased mobility, and other disorders. After identifying the source of pain, functional dry needling involves advancing a small filament needle into the related muscles, eliciting a small twitch response and relaxation of the muscle. Stimulating these trigger points can “reboot” the muscle to alleviate both the original problem area as well as the secondary pain
