ACE 3-day Dry Needling Course is the most comprehensive dry needling program available in Australia and New Zealand.

This course consists of comprehensive pre-course learning material combined with 24 hours of practical dry needling training over 3 days. Participants will also receive free lifetime access to over 6 hours of post-course video material to cover all techniques that were taught during the practical training.

This course is designed specifically for allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, myotherapists, occupational therapists and remedial therapists.

This course equips you with everything you need to start practicing confidently on clients immediately after completing the course. The program is evidence-informed, meeting the requirements for professional associations, and offers a contemporary approach to dry needling that integrates scientific literature with practical application and sound clinical reasoning. Gain the skills and knowledge needed to deliver safe and effective treatments with confidence.

KEY REASONS TO ATTEND ACE DRY NEEDLING COURSE:

➡️ Learn from expert instructors who blend advanced clinical knowledge with hands-on training, ensuring you’re equipped with the best practices in dry needling techniques.	➡️ Successfully completing this course provides you with a certificate meeting the standards of all major associations.
➡️ Gain a deep understanding of myofascial trigger point physiology, safety and hygiene protocols, and the mechanisms of dry needling, helping you deliver effective, safe treatments.	➡️ Use dry needling to treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal issues, from sports injuries to chronic pain, enhancing the quality of care you provide.

Our classes are capped to ensure an appropriate student to instructor ratio to ensure that every participant receives personalised attention and hands-on guidance throughout the course. This allows for more direct feedback, tailored instruction, and ample opportunity to practice dry needling techniques under close supervision. This provides you with opportunities to ask more questions, have clinical discussions and refine your skills with confidence.

THIS DRY NEEDLING COURSE CONSISTS OF 3 MAIN COMPONENTS:

1. Pre-course online learning

- By providing online learning material before the practical sessions, participants can absorb key theoretical knowledge at their own pace. This includes understanding musculoskeletal and neurovascular anatomy, trigger point physiology, and dry needling principles. This self-paced learning allows participants to come into the hands-on sessions prepared with a solid foundation, maximising the efficiency of the practical training.

2. Face-to-face practical training

- The in-person component allows participants to put theory into practice, under the guidance of experienced instructors. This hands-on approach ensures that participants gain essential needling skills, develop clinical reasoning, and improve their confidence in treating patients. The extensive 24-hour training provides ample time to cover dry needling techniques for over 56 muscles, giving participants the competence they need for real-world application.

3. Post-course online review library and learning

- After the face-to-face sessions, participants will receive access to the online review material to revise and further their understanding. Participants can revisit key concepts, review video demonstrations, and continue to refine their techniques. This post-course support is particularly valuable for reinforcing new skills, ensuring long-term retention, and allowing participants to refer back to the material as they begin integrating dry needling into their practice.

Plus, all participants receive 12 month access to world’s leading 3D Complete Anatomy app!

WHAT TO EXPECT…

Find our 3-day Dry Needling course schedule here.

Learning outcomes

Exploration of myofascial trigger points Discuss the neurophysiological mechanisms associated with myofascial trigger points and their clinical symptoms and signs.	Mechanisms of trigger point dry needling Investigate and discuss the proposed evidence informed mechanisms of action for trigger point dry needling.	Literature review Synthesize and critically discuss the scientific literature relating to myofascial pain, trigger points and dry needling.
Peripheral and central sensitisation mechanisms Explore the mechanisms of peripheral and central sensitisation, including widespread myofascial pain syndrome.	Safety and hygiene procedures Apply appropriate safety and hygiene procedures during dry needling practice.	Cautions and contraindications for dry needling Discuss the cautions, contraindications, and potential adverse events related to dry needling.
Management of adverse events Establish strategies for managing potential adverse events associated with dry needling.	Informed consent for dry needling Effectively provide the relevant information and obtain informed consent from patients prior to performing dry needling.	Dry needling application Perform myofascial dry needling across all regions of the body with a high degree of safety, skill and competence.
Contemporary view of pain Integrate dry needling treatment with a modern integrative approach to pain science, education, manual therapy and exercise.	Musculoskeletal and neurovascular anatomy application Apply thorough knowledge of musculoskeletal and neurovascular anatomy to all body regions in preparation for dry needling.	Enhanced anatomical understanding Improve anatomical understanding and palpation skills by utilizing 3D anatomy software, detailed student notes and presenter led exercises.
Clinical reasoning for dry needling Understand and apply clinical reasoning for the incorporation of dry needling into a treatment plan, including recognising common referred pain locations and mechanisms of injury.	Confidence in needling anatomically higher-risk areas Needle anatomically higher-risk areas with confidence, guided by expert instruction. Employ clinical justification and patient centred reasoning in the process for selecting each needling location.	Dry needling stimulation techniques Perform a range of dry needling stimulation techniques to elicit appropriate and effective patient responses.
Practical palpation Improve palpation skills of key bony landmarks, muscles and neurovascular structures.	Dosage Discuss and apply a clinically reasoned approach to dry needling dosage in the context of treatment planning and design.	Case study and group discussion Engage in case study analysis and group discussion to consolidate learning and apply knowledge in practical scenarios.

After you complete your course with ACE you will have Lifetime support from ACE team – We have a designated student support officer to ensure support throughout your training.

YOU CAN FIND OUR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FROM HERE

What do you need to have?

You should already be a qualified health practitioner. The minimum qualification accepted for safety and insurance purposes is a Diploma Massage (Massage NZ recommends level 6). If you are a Massage Therapist, Soft Tissue Therapist, Sports Therapist, Osteopath, Physiotherapist, Chiropractor, Exercise Physiologist or a Doctor, you are welcome to attend. If you are unsure if your current qualification is adequate to attend this course, please contact us at admin@advancedclinicaled.com for further clarification.

We look forward to meeting you!

Super Early Bird tickets available until 2nd January 2026.

Early Bird tickets available until 30th January 2026.

ACE provides Payment Plans as an option on our courses, to find out about how to apply for a Payment Plan, read our policy on this HERE.

For more information on our Cancellation Policy, please click HERE.

At ACE, we provide you with the ability to repeat our courses at a heavily discounted rate (conditions apply). Please see our course repeat policy HERE.

If you need to travel to attend this course, please check with the organiser prior to booking flights etc to ensure that registrations have reached a viable level for the course to proceed. It is rare that courses need to be cancelled or postponed, but we want to avoid any unnecessary disruption to your plans.

English Language: Please note that proficiency in written and verbal communication in English is essential for participation in ACE courses. Being able to understand and communicate clearly in English is a requirement for safety purposes, and to ensure that you and your fellow students get the most out of your learning experience. If it is deemed that your English proficiency is not suitable for safe participation in the course, this may result in your registration being cancelled and you may not be eligible for a refund.