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Daily Edition • Monday, May 4

Can Dry Needling Really Ease Muscle Pain?

A hand placing an acupuncture needle into the skin of a patient's back, with a soft background and natural light.

Getty/Unsplash

You Should Know: Plunging needles into your skin to relieve pain may sound (very) counterintuitive, but that’s the idea behind dry needling therapy. Like those used in acupuncture, these needles are very thin and have no medicine inside (hence the term “dry”). Unlike acupuncture, which is used more broadly to treat issues like pain and stress throughout the body, dry needling is a Western practice that’s focused only on localized myofascial pain.

Going Deeper: Dry needling attacks pain stemming from trigger points in muscles: specific spots that either cause pain at the site or “referred pain” elsewhere in the body. Needles are inserted down into the muscle to stimulate it to twitch and release tension. It can hurt a little, but that’s a good thing.

Takeaway: Dry needling is considered to be a safe therapy (though some conditions, like pregnancy and bleeding disorders, make it a no-go for some people). Anecdotally, people claim it’s effective, but there’s not much high-quality research on it. Critics say dry needling may offer a temporary reprieve but doesn’t actually address the root of the pain.

Bottom Line: Dry needling likely provides only short-term relief and should be part of a larger pain-management strategy. Talk to your healthcare provider first, and choose a practitioner with solid experience.

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Food as Medicine, Without the Prep

A woman smiles as she enjoys a meal of chicken, potatoes, and broccoli in a bright kitchen. Fresh vegetables are nearby.

Courtesy: BistroMD

There’s a growing shift toward making healthy eating as frictionless as possible — fewer decisions, less prep, more consistency. Plenty of brands are leaning into that idea, but BistroMD takes a more clinical angle, with ready-made meals designed by dietitians and built around metabolic health and quality ingredients.

Think of it as one way to simplify things: skip the planning and cooking, but still eat in a way that supports your goals.

You can try it for 60% off your first order with code YUMMY60.

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Personal Development

Are Strong Friendships the Key to a Long, Healthy Life?

A group of hands reaching for glasses in a celebratory toast above a vast spread of diverse food.

Unsplash

Hey, Friend: We spent last week at Wellist Week, where one idea kept coming up: community is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s foundational to modern health. The sense of belonging people get from relationships, shared experiences, and even the content they engage with is increasingly being treated as a core input, not a byproduct. New research from Cornell University suggests that may be more than just a feeling.

The Study: Researchers analyzed markers of biological aging and inflammation alongside participants’ social histories. They discovered that those with stronger, more consistent social connections over their lives had measurable health advantages compared with those who were more socially isolated. Notably, this effect went beyond mental health, pointing to broader systemic benefits.

The Takeaway: Loneliness isn’t just lonely — it may be shortening lifespans. Building and maintaining social ties, engaging in communities, and prioritizing relationships could be as impactful for your long-term health as diet or exercise.

Keep in Mind: This research is correlational, not causal. It highlights trends. Genetics, lifestyle, and environment all contribute to health outcomes. But if nothing else, this is one more compelling reason to call a friend, join a club, or volunteer this week.

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Sleep & Recovery

How to Quiet a Racing Mind Before Bed

A woman in a striped shirt lies on a bed, looking relaxed with her arms raised, surrounded by pillows and a soft blanket.

Stephanie Berbec/Unsplash

Brain Won't Quit: Lying awake while your brain rehearses tomorrow's to-do list is one of the most universal human experiences. There's a guided practice that may actually help though, and it’s called yoga nidra.

How to Do It: Yoga nidra is basically a guided body scan. Find a 10 to 20-minute recording (Insight Timer, YouTube, the Sleep Foundation, and Spotify all have free options). Lie down (usually on your back), press play, and follow the recorded voice as it walks your attention slowly through different parts of your body. If you find yourself falling asleep before the recording ends, that's the whole point.

The Benefits: Yoga nidra gives a busy mind something much simpler to do, which often helps it let go of racing thoughts. A 2021 randomized trial found that practicing yoga nidra improved deep sleep stages and lowered cortisol in people with chronic insomnia. Experts believe it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing the body's stress response. It improves with regular practice though, so don’t call it quits if your first try doesn’t hit.

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Quick Picks

Sleep On It — This sleeping position may boost brain health.

Mineral vs. Chemical — What’s the best sunscreen for your skin?

Skip Facebook Marketplace — There’s a much easier way to sell your bike.*

Keep You Full — Here are 10 high-fiber foods to support weight loss.

Chair Stretch — These seated movements could lower blood sugar.

^*Indicates a brand partnership

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This, Not That

Snack Upgrade

Sliced red apples in a green bowl, accompanied by a bowl of peanut butter and scattered peanuts on a pink surface.

THIS

Stack of chocolate-coated granola bars on a crumpled brown surface, with one bar leaning against the stack.

NOT THAT

Natalie Behn/Unsplash, Anna Jakutajc-Wojtalik/Unsplash

This: Apple + Nut Butter
Not That: Flavored Granola Bar

Many granola bars are essentially candy bars in disguise — refined grains, syrups, and chocolate coatings. Pairing fruit with nut butter hits the same sweet-and-satisfying notes but with fiber, healthy fats, and protein. The result: slower digestion and fewer midafternoon crashes.

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What We're Cooking

Tahini-Rubbed Chicken With Chickpeas & Dates

A pan of roasted chicken with chickpeas, herbs, and dried fruit, accompanied by broken pieces of flatbread and yogurt.

Courtesy: Food52

Serves: 4 | Cook Time: 40 minutes

This one-skillet chicken brings together a range of bold, Middle Eastern-inspired flavors in a simple but layered dish. Tahini-rubbed chicken cooks over saucy onions and chickpeas, then is finished with caramelized dates and warm lemon slices. The process starts on the stovetop before moving to the oven, and a final broil ensures perfectly crispy chicken skin. As it cooks, the tahini marinade infuses everything beneath it with a rich, sticky pan sauce. Finished with fresh herbs and a drizzle of tahini yogurt, each bite hits a balance of savory, sweet, tangy, and creamy flavors.

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HEALTHY HABIT

Read Two Pages

Keep a book somewhere obvious — your nightstand, couch, or bag. Each day, read just two pages. The low bar makes it easy to start, and once you start, you’ll often read more. Even if you don’t, two pages a day still adds up.

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Final Thought

Cracked, dry earth with sparse green grass under a clear sky, illustrating drought conditions.

Age imprints more wrinkles in the mind than it does on the face.”

– Michel de Montaigne, Essays (1580–88)

Planet Volumes/Unsplash