Dry needling in the Sutherland Shire

The physiotherapist behind @thedryneedlingphysio, here in Miranda

Plenty of Shire clinics list dry needling as one of many things they do. At PACT it is a genuine focus. Andrew Ellis, our founder and principal physiotherapist, has focused on trigger point dry needling since 2012 and runs the @thedryneedlingphysio channels, where he teaches the technique to physiotherapists and clinicians. He has presented dry needling to more than 5,000 clinicians across 14 countries through World Health Webinars.

That depth matters because the needle is the easy part. Knowing which muscle is actually driving your pain, exactly where the trigger point sits, and how to combine needling with the rest of your treatment is what changes the result. We assess how you move first, then use needling as one part of a plan built for your problem, not a set recipe of points.

What trigger point dry needling actually is

Trigger point dry needling places very thin, sterile, single use needles into the tight bands of muscle known as trigger points. The aim is to release that tension, settle the pain it refers elsewhere, and let the muscle move freely again. It is a physiotherapy technique grounded in anatomy.

It is not acupuncture. Acupuncture comes from traditional Chinese medicine and follows a different map of the body. Dry needling targets the specific muscular trigger point driving your pain, based on where your symptoms come from and how you move. Same tool, very different reasoning behind where the needle goes and why.

• A physiotherapy technique, based on anatomy, not traditional Chinese medicine
• Very thin, single use, sterile needles
• Aimed at the trigger point driving your pain, not a fixed set of points
• Always paired with hands on therapy and exercise, never used on its own

Where dry needling earns its place

Dry needling tends to help most with the tight, achy, knotted problems that hands on work alone can be slow to shift, and with the referred pain that muscle tension sends elsewhere. For pain that has been hanging around and has not settled with standard care, it can take the edge off enough to let the rehab do its job.

It is always one piece of a wider plan. Below are common reasons Shire locals come in for it. If your problem is not listed, the assessment tells us whether needling is worth using at all.

What a session feels like

We assess how you move and find the trigger points driving your pain before any needle goes in. Then fine needles are placed into those points. You may feel a small prick, then a brief twitch or dull ache as the muscle responds, which usually settles within moments.

Some people feel mild soreness for a day afterwards, much like the day after a good workout. We pair the session with hands on treatment and a few simple exercises so the muscle stays settled and the cause is addressed, not just the symptom. Your first appointment runs a full 60 minutes so there is time to assess properly and start treatment.

• We assess and explain before any needle goes in
• A brief twitch or ache is normal and short lived
• Mild next day soreness is common and settles quickly
• Always combined with hands on therapy and exercise

Led by Andrew Ellis, and a team held to his standard

PACT was founded by Andrew Ellis, our principal physiotherapist. Alongside his focus on dry needling, Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Master of Physiotherapy, and is an AHPRA registered physiotherapist with more than 14 years of clinical experience.

That depth sets the standard for the whole clinic. Whoever you see at PACT works to the same approach Andrew built and treats alongside him, so you get the same careful assessment and the same reasoning behind every needle. You are never on a production line.

Easy to reach from across the Shire

Our clinic is at Unit 1/196 Sylvania Road, Miranda, a short run from most of the Sutherland Shire, including Cronulla, Caringbah, Sutherland, Gymea, Sylvania, Menai and Kirrawee. We are open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 9pm and weekends from 8:30am to 6pm, so there is usually an early or late slot that suits.

Same day appointments are often available. Book online or call (02) 8330 6776. If you cannot get in to Miranda, PACT Virtual Care offers telehealth across Australia, with guided self treatment and exercise in place of needling.