Assessment
A full hour on your history and how your body actually moves. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a clear plan you can actually follow.
Trigger-Point & Acupuncture Therapy
Dry Needling & Acupuncture in London
Used with precision inside a wider physiotherapy plan, dry needling and Western medical acupuncture release the tight trigger points behind your muscle pain, easing the ache and freeing up movement, delivered by our HCPC-registered physiotherapists across six central London clinics only after a full assessment.
What happens at your first appointment
We work out what is really holding you back, then agree the plan with you before you leave.
Your first appointment runs a full 60 minutes: a detailed history, then a thorough examination of how you move, your strength, and the affected area. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis with you.
Treatment starts the same day, and you leave with the first exercises of a plan built around your goal.
Dry needling and acupuncture can help to:
Release tight muscle trigger points
A fine, single-use needle targets the tight, tender knots driving your pain, helping the muscle let go and easing both the local ache and the pain it refers elsewhere.
Ease myofascial and referred pain
By settling an over-irritable trigger point, needling can calm pain that spreads beyond its source, opening a window in which movement and rehabilitation become easier.
Open a window for movement
Needling is used to reduce tension so you can move and load better, not as a fix on its own, which is why we always pair it with hands-on treatment and exercise.
Complement your wider physiotherapy plan
Because each needle follows a full assessment and a clear diagnosis, it targets what is genuinely contributing to your symptoms as one part of a broader, active plan.
Get a technique used only when it helps
We reassess your response at every visit and keep needling only while it is adding value, dropping it the moment it stops earning its place in your recovery.
I had a fantastic experience working with Katrina as my physiotherapist. From the start, she was incredibly friendly and genuinely listened to my concerns. She adapted my rehab plan specifically to suit my individual needs and time frame, as I was preparing for a move and had a clear goal to be back playing football. Katrina not only helped me reach that goal right on time, but she also used a variety of techniques, including dry needling and massage, to relieve tightness in the surrounding muscles and support my overall recovery. Her attention to detail, encouragement, and tailored approach made a real difference in my progress. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a physio!
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Katrina is outstanding. After struggling with a stubborn Achilles injury, she not only got me pain-free but back to running and sport. Her expertise in acupuncture, massage, and tailored rehab planning is second to none. On top of that, she brings great energy and conversation that make each session genuinely enjoyable. If you need a physio who combines real skill with a personal touch, Katrina is the one to see.
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Great experience with Katrina. She helped me with a sprained ankle with a very doable and effective treatment plan. The exercises were not overcomplicated and easy to incorporate into my day to day life which meant that I actually did them and was able to recover within 5 weeks in time to do a tough mudder. Really easy to chat to! Would recommend.
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Katrina was great with me! I had a hip injury and expected it to take ages to fix but with the exercises she gave me to do and acupuncture, it all went away quite quickly. I now have exercises I can do regularly in the future and knowledge on how to prevent. Great experience!
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Dry needling fees and insurance
You can book online directly, with no GP referral needed and same-week appointments across all six clinics. If you are using private health insurance, check your policy first: some insurers ask for a GP referral before your first session.
- Initial assessment: a full 60 minutes covering your history, examination and a working diagnosis
- Follow-up treatment: 45 minutes, with your plan progressed at each visit
- Extended 60-minute treatments for complex or multi-area problems
- Recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna, Nuffield Health and WPA
Your journey
with Soho Physiotherapy
Everything is built around you. Whether the goal is a marathon or a comfortable commute, we find what is driving the problem, treat it, and build the strength that keeps the fix in place. Our aim is to get you better and give you the tools to stay better for the long term.
Treatment
Hands-on care to settle symptoms and restore movement: joint mobilisation, soft-tissue work and dry needling where they genuinely help, in line with national guidance.
Rebuild
Progressive exercise that returns the strength, control and load tolerance your body needs for work, sport and everything in between. This is the part that makes recovery last.
Perform
A short home programme, sensible loads, and the habits that keep problems rare. Then we discharge you: we don't sell sessions you don't need.
Move well, move freely. That has been the idea since 1997. We settle the symptoms first, then rebuild the strength that stops them coming back, so you finish stronger than when you started.
- One clinical team across six central London clinics, from Soho to Canary Wharf, with same-week appointments.
- Treating central London since 1997: 28 years and roughly 160,000 patients.
- Recognised by seven major UK insurers, including Bupa, AXA and Vitality, with self-pay welcome.
What we treat across our six London clinics
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Manual therapy and progressive exercise rehabilitation
- Dry needling and Western medical acupuncture
- Sports massage and soft-tissue therapy
- Shockwave therapy for stubborn tendon problems
- Post-operative rehabilitation
- Women's and pelvic health physiotherapy
- Workplace and desk setup assessments
- Running and gait analysis
6 Locations
Dry needling across our 6 London clinics
- Soho 111 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DT View location →
- Liverpool Street UNTIL Bishopsgate, 280 Bishopsgate, EC2M 4RB View location →
- Devonshire Row Integrity Centre, 14 Devonshire Row, EC2M 4RH View location →
- Regent Street Linen Hall, 162 Regent Street, W1B 5TB View location →
- Marylebone UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, W1H 6HJ View location →
- Canary Wharf 30 South Colonnade, E14 5HX View location →
FAQ
Common questions about
dry needling and acupuncture in London
What is dry needling, and how is it different from acupuncture?
Dry needling uses fine, single-use sterile needles placed directly into myofascial trigger points: tight, painful knots within a muscle. It is guided by a physiotherapy diagnosis and current pain science. Western medical acupuncture applies the same fine needles within an evidence-based framework rather than traditional Chinese medicine theory. The reasoning is physiotherapy-led in both cases.
Can needling treat my low back pain?
Not as a first treatment. National guidance advises against acupuncture for general low back pain, so we lead with exercise and hands-on treatment instead. Where a clear trigger point is adding to your symptoms, needling may be worth considering as one part of a wider plan, never on its own.
Does dry needling hurt, and is it safe?
The needles are very fine, so most people feel a brief prick followed by a deep ache or a short muscle twitch. Serious side effects are rare when delivered by trained, registered clinicians using single-use sterile needles. Minor bruising, brief drowsiness, or temporary soreness can occur and usually settles within a day or so.
Do I need a GP referral for dry needling or acupuncture?
No. You can book directly via our Jane App page or by calling 020 3004 8500. Needling itself is offered only after a physiotherapy assessment, so your first step is an appointment where we decide together whether it is appropriate for you. If you use private insurance, your treatment is recorded within your wider physiotherapy plan.
Is needling safe if I take blood thinners or am pregnant?
Tell us before any needling if you take anticoagulants, have a bleeding disorder, or are pregnant. Anticoagulants and bleeding disorders raise bleeding and bruising risk, and we apply particular caution during pregnancy. We screen for these at every visit and will adapt or avoid needling wherever it is not appropriate for you.
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Soho Physiotherapy • 111 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DT
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