Dry Needling in Jacksonville, FL
Dr. Cody Muren performs trigger point dry needling in Jacksonville at Full Swing Healthcare on Beach Blvd. Intramuscular needling to deactivate trigger points, resolve myofascial pain, and restore neuromuscular function at the source.
Not Acupuncture. A Different Framework Entirely.
You have a muscle knot that has been there for months. Massage loosens it for a day and it comes right back. That is not a failure of the massage. That is a description of what trigger points actually are. A trigger point is a region of sustained sarcomere shortening caused by dysfunction at the motor endplate. The muscle is locked in a contraction it cannot release on its own. Compression from the outside, whether massage, foam rolling, or stretching, does not resolve it. Inserting a needle directly into the trigger point does. That is dry needling in Jacksonville, and it is what Dr. Cody Muren and Dr. Eric Hall do at Full Swing Healthcare on Beach Blvd.
The mechanism is well-documented: a trigger point is a region of sustained sarcomere shortening caused by excessive acetylcholine release at a dysfunctional motor endplate. This creates a contraction knot that restricts blood flow, accumulates metabolic waste, and sensitizes local nociceptors. Left untreated, trigger points drive central sensitization: the process by which the central nervous system becomes amplified and pain becomes chronic and disproportionate to tissue damage.
Inserting a needle directly into the trigger point produces a local twitch response (LTR), a brief involuntary muscle contraction that signals disruption of the dysfunctional endplate activity. The LTR is both diagnostic and therapeutic. After it fires, the sarcomere shortening releases, blood flow returns, and the referred pain pattern that trigger point was generating diminishes or resolves.
Dr. Cody Muren, DC & Dr. Eric Hall, DC
Both Dr. Muren and Dr. Hall are certified in dry needling. Dr. Muren (Palmer College, TPI Certified) integrates needling with chiropractic and StemWave shockwave therapy. Dr. Hall (B.S. Kinesiology, Jacksonville University; Palmer College) brings his background as a Division I athlete and Kinesiology specialist to his dry needling approach, particularly for sports injury and soft tissue presentations.
Dry needling is not performed as a standalone modality at Full Swing. It is integrated into a broader treatment plan designed to fix the problem, not manage it indefinitely.
What Dry Needling Treats at Full Swing
Myofascial trigger points generate predictable referred pain patterns. The upper trapezius refers pain to the temple and side of the head, which is why so many tension headaches are actually a trapezius trigger point problem, not a head problem. The suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull refer pain behind the eye. The infraspinatus refers pain down the arm in a pattern that mimics rotator cuff tear or cervical radiculopathy. Understanding these referral maps is what separates effective dry needling from guesswork.
For neck pain, the levator scapulae, upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, and suboccipital group are the primary targets. Chronic neck stiffness that doesn’t fully resolve with chiropractic adjustments alone almost always has a muscular trigger point component maintaining the dysfunction. The joint gets freed but the muscle pulls it back. Dry needling addresses the muscular side of the equation.
For low back pain, the quadratus lumborum, multifidus, and gluteus medius are frequent trigger point sites. QL trigger points in particular produce a deep, aching low back pain that responds poorly to stretching and is often misattributed to disc problems. Needling the QL directly, which hands-on techniques struggle to reach due to its depth, produces rapid, sometimes immediate relief in appropriate cases.
For sports injuries and athletic overuse, dry needling accelerates recovery from muscle guarding, strain patterns, and the protective spasm that develops around acute injuries. Combined with our athletic recovery program, it shortens return-to-sport timelines for Jacksonville athletes who can’t afford to wait out the usual recovery arc.
Dry needling also treats piriformis-related sciatica, plantar fasciitis via the gastrocnemius and intrinsic foot muscles, shoulder impingement via the rotator cuff and pectoralis minor, and the chronic myofascial patterns that develop after auto accidents and whiplash injuries. For whiplash in particular, the deep cervical muscles, particularly the longus colli and semispinalis, develop trigger points that manual therapy struggles to access. Dry needling reaches them directly.
How Dry Needling Works at Full Swing
Dr. Muren begins with a thorough assessment of your pain pattern, posture, and movement. Trigger points are identified through palpation: finding the taut band and the hypersensitive nodule within it. Needles are inserted directly into the trigger point. When a local twitch response fires, you will feel a brief, deep cramp or ache lasting one to two seconds. This is the therapeutic event. It is not pain in the injury sense. It is the muscle responding to being deactivated.
Sessions typically treat three to eight trigger point sites depending on the area and chronicity. Dry needling is usually combined with chiropractic on the same visit: muscles are needled first to reduce protective guarding, then the corresponding joints are adjusted with better mobility and less resistance. The combined effect is consistently superior to either intervention alone. Post-needling soreness is common for 12–48 hours and is a normal part of the local inflammatory healing response the technique intentionally triggers.
Two Techniques, Two Models
Patients frequently ask whether dry needling and acupuncture are the same thing. They use the same needle but differ in their theoretical model, point selection rationale, and what they are trying to achieve. Acupuncture selects points based on meridian theory or western orthopedic anatomy to modulate the nervous system broadly, affecting inflammation, pain signaling, autonomic tone, and systemic conditions. Dry needling selects points based solely on where trigger points are found through palpation and where referred pain maps indicate.
The practical difference: dry needling is highly localized and targets specific dysfunctional muscle tissue. Acupuncture can treat conditions far from the needle site through neurological and systemic pathways. They are complementary rather than competing. Dr. Muren determines which is appropriate based on your presentation. Many patients benefit from both within the same plan.
Dry Needling FAQ: Jacksonville, FL
Is dry needling legal in Florida?
Yes. Florida chiropractors are authorized to perform dry needling as part of their scope of practice. Dr. Muren is licensed by the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine and is fully credentialed to perform this technique at Full Swing Healthcare.
Does dry needling hurt?
The needle insertion is usually not felt. The local twitch response, a brief involuntary muscle cramp lasting one to two seconds, is noticeable but short. Post-treatment soreness in the needled area is common for 12–48 hours, similar to the feeling after an intense workout. Most patients feel noticeably looser and less painful within 24 hours of that soreness clearing.
Does insurance cover dry needling in Florida?
Coverage varies widely by plan. Some Florida Blue and United Healthcare plans cover dry needling when billed appropriately. Others exclude it. We verify your benefits before your first visit so there are no surprises. See our insurance page for carriers we work with.
How many sessions will I need?
Acute myofascial pain often responds in 2–4 sessions. Chronic trigger point patterns with central sensitization may require 6–10. Dr. Muren gives you an honest timeline after the initial assessment and re-evaluates regularly. We don’t run open-ended treatment plans.
Can dry needling be combined with chiropractic on the same visit?
Yes, and this is the standard protocol at Full Swing for most musculoskeletal conditions. Dry needling is performed first to release the muscular holding pattern, then chiropractic adjustments are performed with the surrounding soft tissue in a more relaxed state. The joint correction holds longer when the muscle tone maintaining the dysfunction has been addressed first.
Ready to Come In?
Same-day appointments available. 13770 Beach Blvd, Suite 4, Jacksonville, FL 32224.