Can you exercise after Dry Needling?

This is a question that we get asked everyday in clinic. The short answer is it depends. It depends what you are going to be doing and also how your body responds to dry needling.

Dry needling can be quite taxing to the muscles and soft tissues and you may feel sore afterwards. If this is the case it is advised to wait at least 24-48 hours after dry needling to undertake any strenuous weightlifting or strenuous cardio. Some people during this period of time may feel there muscles are heavy and fatigued so it is good to just rest and let the body heal.

If on the other hand you feel great after dry needling then you can go about training as you would normally as there is no current evidence to suggest that training after dry needling causes any injury. Many athletes have dry needling and continue their gruelling training regime without issue and report that it actually improves their performance and reduces their pain and inflammation. Another thing to consider is to add in some active recovery style exercise like Yoga or Pilates or reduce the intensity of your training for the couple of days after dry needling.

We’d love to hear your feedback on how you feel after dry needling and if it impacts your ability to train or if you find it enhances your training.