A major component of physical therapy is pain relief for our patients.  Pain caused by muscular tightness can be relieved over by time with dry needling being incorporated into a plan of care.  Trigger points in muscles can cause neuromuscular dysfunction that will lead to functional impairments.  Dry needling attacks those trigger points directly, allowing the muscle to relax and allow for more functional range of motion.  The literature has proven its effectiveness in a clinical application.  Since our job is to improve function in our patients, dry needling must be incorporated into our scope of practice.