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Electrical Dry Needling
in El Paso

Standard dry needling releases trigger points. Electrical dry needling goes deeper — delivering e-stim directly through the needle into the muscle for stronger pain relief, faster recovery, and longer-lasting results.

⚡ E-Stim Through the Needle
🎓 DPT + MS Certified Provider
💰 Included — No Extra Charge
📅 Same-Week Availability
Book Online Now Text Dr. Cisneros →
⚡ Electrical Dry Needling (Solas PT)
✓ E-stim current delivered directly into the muscle
✓ Stronger neuromodulation at the tissue level
✓ Effective for chronic and nerve-related pain
✓ Included at no extra charge
Standard Dry Needling (Most Clinics)
– Needle only — mechanical trigger point release
– No electrical stimulation component
– Less effective for chronic or nerve pain
– Often billed separately if offered at all

Solas Physical Therapy performs electrical dry needling in El Paso — also called e-stim dry needling, electro-dry needling, intramuscular electrical stimulation (IMES), or percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS). It is dry needling with a low-level electrical current passed between the needles, delivered directly into the muscle rather than through surface pads. Every treatment is performed one-on-one by Dr. Andrew Cisneros, PT, DPT, MS, at both Solas PT El Paso locations, and is included in your session at no extra charge.

The Mechanism

How Electrical Dry Needling
Works

Four distinct physiological events happen when e-stim is added to dry needling — each one contributing to faster, deeper, more lasting relief than needle alone.

01
Needle Placed at Trigger Point
A thin monofilament needle is inserted directly into the active trigger point — the tight, hypersensitive knot in the muscle. This targets the tissue where standard treatments like massage and TENS can't reach. The needle itself causes a local twitch response that begins mechanical release.
02
Electrical Current Applied Through the Needle
Low-level electrical current is passed between two needles placed in the target muscle. This creates rhythmic contractions at the tissue level — not at the skin surface. The current is set to a frequency and amplitude calibrated to your condition: low-frequency for pain inhibition, high-frequency for muscle fatigue and spasm release.
03
Descending Pain Inhibition Activated
Electrical stimulation at the intramuscular level activates descending pain inhibitory pathways in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord — the same mechanism as opioid analgesia, but without medication. This explains why electrical dry needling produces relief that outlasts the treatment session, sometimes by days or weeks in chronic pain patients.
04
Enhanced Blood Flow & Metabolic Clearance
The rhythmic muscle contractions produced by the e-stim act as a pump — flushing the metabolic waste products (lactic acid, substance P, inflammatory markers) that accumulate in trigger points and cause chronic pain. This is why electrical dry needling outperforms standard dry needling for long-standing trigger points that have "reset" multiple times.

Understanding the Difference

Electrical Dry Needling
vs. TENS vs. Standard Dry Needling

Three techniques that use electrical stimulation — but they are not the same thing. Here's how they compare on the variables that actually matter for outcomes.

⚡ Electrical Dry Needling Surface TENS Standard Dry Needling
Delivery method Intramuscular — through needle Skin surface — pads Needle only — no current
Tissue depth reached Directly at the trigger point Skin & superficial tissue Mechanical only
Pain inhibition mechanism Descending inhibitory pathways Gate control — surface only Local twitch response
Duration of relief Days to weeks post-treatment During & shortly after Hours to days
Best for chronic pain Yes — especially nerve-related Moderate Acute trigger points
Available at Solas PT ✓ Included at no extra charge — ✓

What the Research Shows

The Evidence Behind
Electrical Dry Needling

Electrical dry needling isn't a fringe technique — it has been tested in multicenter randomized controlled trials published in peer-reviewed journals. Here is what the research found when e-stim was added to dry needling and standard physical therapy.

Plantar Fasciitis
A multicenter randomized controlled trial found that adding electrical dry needling to exercise, manual therapy, and ultrasound produced significantly greater reductions in heel pain and disability than standard care alone.

Dunning J, et al. PLOS ONE, 2018;13(10):e0205405. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205405
Shoulder (Subacromial Pain)
In patients with subacromial pain syndrome (shoulder impingement), combining electrical dry needling with manual therapy led to greater improvements in pain and function than a conventional approach over a multi-month follow-up.

Dunning J, et al. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 2021;51(2):72–81. doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2021.9785
Myofascial Trigger Points
A randomized trial comparing dry needling alone to dry needling with intramuscular electrical stimulation found the e-stim group achieved faster and better-maintained improvement in myofascial pain.

Brennan K, et al. J Man Manip Ther, 2021;29(4):216–226. doi.org/10.1080/10669817.2020.1824469

At Solas PT, Dr. Cisneros applies these evidence-based protocols — pairing electrical dry needling with hands-on manual therapy and a targeted exercise plan, the same combination shown to outperform single treatments in the research above.

What It Treats

Conditions That Respond Best to
Electrical Dry Needling

Electrical dry needling is especially effective for conditions involving nerve sensitization, chronic trigger points, or deep muscle tension that hasn't responded to surface-level treatments.

⚡
Sciatica & Lumbar Radiculopathy
E-stim targets piriformis, paraspinals, and gluteal muscles compressing the sciatic nerve — producing neuromodulation at the root level
🏋️
Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy
Intratendinous electrical stimulation reduces subacromial impingement and accelerates tendon healing — without surgery
🧠
Cervical Dystonia
E-stim disrupts the abnormal muscle activation patterns driving dystonic spasm — one of the few non-pharmacological tools that reaches the neuromuscular level
🦵
Hip Flexor & Piriformis Pain
Deep hip muscles are difficult to reach with manual therapy or surface TENS — electrical dry needling targets them directly
🔁
Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome
For trigger points that keep "resetting" after standard dry needling, e-stim provides the deeper metabolic clearance needed to break the pain cycle
🦶
Plantar Fasciitis & Achilles
Electrical stimulation delivered to the intrinsic foot muscles and gastrocnemius-soleus complex accelerates tendon remodeling
🏃
IT Band Syndrome & Runner's Knee
E-stim to the TFL and lateral quad reduces the lateral pull on the IT band — addressing the muscular driver, not just the symptomatic band
🧩
Neck Pain & Cervicogenic Headache
Deep cervical paraspinal muscles respond exceptionally well to electrical stimulation — reducing headache frequency and cervical stiffness

Your First Session

What to Expect with
Electrical Dry Needling

Before
Assessment First
Dr. Cisneros identifies the specific muscles and trigger points driving your pain before any needles are placed. Electrical dry needling is never applied without a targeted clinical assessment — the placement and frequency settings depend entirely on your diagnosis.
During
Mild Rhythmic Pulsing
You'll feel the needle insertion (brief), then a mild rhythmic pulsing or twitching as the e-stim runs for 5–15 minutes. The current level is set to what you find comfortable — you're always in control. Most patients find it surprisingly tolerable.
After
24–48 Hr Soreness, Then Relief
Soreness in the treated area is normal and expected for 24–48 hours — it means the treatment reached the right tissue. Most patients notice significant improvement once that initial soreness passes. Subsequent sessions typically produce less soreness and faster relief.

Patient Result

What Patients Say About
Electrical Dry Needling at Solas PT

★★★★★

"I suffer from Cervical Dystonia, and the dry needling I received from Andrew Cisneros helped to alleviate the pain and muscle tightness from this disorder."

Rosie G. — Cervical Dystonia Patient
★ Verified Google Review · Solas PT

See all 19 Google reviews ↗

Common Questions

Electrical Dry Needling
— Answered

Electrical dry needling (also called e-stim dry needling or percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation / PENS) combines trigger point dry needling with low-level electrical current delivered through the needle directly into the muscle. Standard dry needling uses the needle mechanically. Electrical dry needling adds a current between two needles, producing rhythmic muscle contractions, stronger neuromodulation, and longer-lasting pain relief — especially for chronic or nerve-related pain.
Yes. Dr. Andrew Cisneros, PT, DPT, MS at Solas Physical Therapy offers electrical dry needling at both El Paso locations — 6633 N Mesa St Suite 508B (west El Paso, 79912) and 6456 Doniphan Dr Unit C (northwest El Paso, 79932). It is included in your session at no extra charge when clinically indicated. No referral required — text 915-318-7381 to book this week.
Traditional dry needling "cones" the trigger point — a more aggressive technique that targets the knot directly. Electrical dry needling instead clamps an e-stim unit onto the needles and delivers gentle micropulsing that relaxes the muscle, which most patients find far more comfortable. Both have a place, and the choice depends on whether you're dealing with acute pain versus tenderness: when a patient has marked tenderness to palpation, Dr. Cisneros favors electrical dry needling. In his experience it works especially well through the spinal region — the sub-occipital, thoracic, and lumbar paraspinal muscles.
Electrical dry needling is actually a more conservative, relaxing approach than traditional dry needling. Rather than aggressively "coning" a trigger point, the e-stim machine clamps onto the needles and delivers a gentle micropulsing to the muscle. You feel light, rhythmic contractions rather than sharp pain — in Dr. Cisneros's experience, it's the part of treatment most patients come to love. The current is always set to what you find comfortable, and mild soreness for 24–48 hours afterward is normal and passes quickly.
No. TENS delivers current through pads on the skin — the current must pass through skin, fat, and superficial tissue before reaching the muscle, limiting its depth and specificity. Electrical dry needling delivers current directly into the muscle through the needle, bypassing all surface tissue. The neuromodulatory effect is deeper, more targeted, and significantly longer-lasting. They are not interchangeable.
Most patients see marked improvement within about 3 sessions of dry needling, typically scheduled once a week, though some conditions take longer. Dr. Cisneros reassesses at each visit and adjusts the plan to your response. Electrical dry needling is always combined with manual therapy and a targeted exercise program — the needling removes the barrier to progress, and exercise rebuilds the underlying strength and stability to prevent recurrence.
Most insurance plans do not cover dry needling — standard or electrical. At Solas PT, electrical dry needling is included in your session at no extra charge when clinically indicated. There is no separate billing code. HSA and FSA cards are accepted. The total session cost is $150 for a 60-minute one-on-one visit that includes manual therapy, electrical dry needling, and your home exercise program.
Yes — and this is one of its most clinically significant applications. Cervical dystonia involves abnormal, involuntary muscle contractions in the neck and shoulder muscles. Electrical dry needling disrupts the pathological neuromuscular activation pattern driving the dystonic spasm, reaching the tissue at a depth that surface treatments cannot match. Combined with neurodynamic techniques and manual therapy, it is one of the most effective non-pharmacological interventions available for cervical dystonia symptom management.

Ready to Try It?

Book Electrical Dry Needling
in El Paso

Included in every session at no extra charge. Same-week availability. No referral required. Text Dr. Cisneros if you have a question before booking.

Book Online Now Text 915-318-7381
Solas Physical Therapy — El Paso, TX
West El Paso: 6633 N Mesa St, Suite 508B · 79912
Northwest El Paso: 6456 Doniphan Dr, Unit C · 79932
Phone / Text: (915) 318-7381
★★★★★ 5.0 · 19 Google Reviews

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