"Can Dry Needling Effectively Alleviate Myofascial Shoulder Pain in Overhead Athletes?"
- Julian Simpson
- Aug 4, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 23, 2025
"Can Dry Needling Effectively Alleviate Myofascial Shoulder Pain in Overhead Athletes?"
Shoulder pain is a prevalent and debilitating musculoskeletal disorder among overhead athletes .
Explosive and repetitive movements over the head can lead to overuse injuries in shoulders, resulting in extended periods out of competition in sportsmen.
The prevalence and incidence of shoulder injury in overhead sports range from 5% to 36%
Shoulder injuries common in athletes are:
scapular dyskinesia,
impingement syndrome,
superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) tears,
glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD),
rotator cuff tears and
myofascial trigger points (MTrPs)
Overhead athletes often experience changes in shoulder range of motion (ROM), particularly with internal rotation (IR) deficits, during the sports season .
These changes, closely associated with alterations in eccentric strength, isometric strength and the external/internal rotation strength ratio, represent significant risk factors for the development of shoulder pain and have a substantial impact on performance
Research into the effectiveness of dry needling found that dry needling can help
Improve Pain
Improve Range of Motion
Improve internal and external rotation (which when limited, can be a particular concern for an overhead activity)
Shoulder Pain Chiropractor
Q: Can chiropractic care help shoulder pain?Yes, chiropractic can help with frozen shoulder, rotator cuff issues, and posture-related pain.
Q: How do adjustments help the shoulder?By restoring mobility, reducing nerve irritation, and relaxing tight muscles.
Q: Is chiropractic safe for chronic shoulder pain?Yes, it’s a safe and drug-free option for many shoulder conditions.
Q: Do I need imaging before treatment?Sometimes, depending on the severity or suspected injury.
Dry Needling Therapy
Q: What is dry needling?It’s a technique using fine needles to release muscle trigger points and relieve pain.
Q: Is dry needling the same as acupuncture?No, acupuncture is based on traditional Chinese medicine, while dry needling targets specific muscle knots.
Q: Does dry needling hurt?Most people feel a brief twitch or ache, followed by muscle relief.
Q: What conditions benefit from dry needling?Back pain, neck pain, sports injuries, and chronic muscle tension.
For more information about how we can help. Please call Health Wise Chiropractic 03 9467 7889 or book online to see one of our Chiropractors in Sunbury or Melton/Strathtulloh Today!
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Each program contains
- Information about the conditions
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Reference
Demeco A, de Sire A, Salerno A, Marotta N, Palermi S, Frizziero A, Costantino C. Dry Needling in Overhead Athletes with Myofascial Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review. Sports (Basel). 2024 Jun 5;12(6):156. doi: 10.3390/sports12060156. PMID: 38921850; PMCID: PMC11207993.
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