Trigger point dry needling (TP-DN) is used to treat muscle tightness and pain.   

TP-DN was developed within a western medical framework and targets trigger points, commonly felt as ‘knots’ within the muscles.  Although the exact mechanism of effectiveness remains somewhat elusive there is consensus that there is a change in blood flow at the painful point, controlled by the nervous system and this assists in easing tension and pain referral patterns.  The only similarity between dry needling and Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (TCA) is in the use of acupuncture needles. TCA is based around the philosophy of moving "qi" (pronounced chi) in the body through accessing points along specific energy meridians.