Do you struggle with migraines or headaches? How about carpal tunnel syndrome or joint pain? One treatment technique you may not have considered is dry needling therapy, which utilizes acupuncture-like techniques in the context of Western medicine. At Ability Physiotherapy, we can help you understand the many benefits of dry needling therapy.
Dry needling is a simple technique in which one of our physiotherapists carefully inserts a thin, sterilized needle into your skin and muscles to relieve pain and improve range of motion. We most often use it as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan, incorporating it alongside other approaches like therapeutic exercise or manual therapy.
If you think dry needling sounds a lot like acupuncture, you’re not exactly wrong. Both techniques involve inserting needles into specific points on the body. However, acupuncture is an ancient practice rooted in Chinese philosophy, with that philosophy guiding needle placement.
Dry needling, in contrast, focuses on trigger points, tight nodules in the muscular tissue that can cause pain throughout the body. Inserting needles into a trigger point “loosens” those knots, helping to reduce pain and immobility.
If you’re curious about the benefits of dry needling therapy, schedule an appointment with us at Ability Physiotherapy today!
Understanding Trigger Points
In order to understand dry needling, it’s important to understand trigger points.
Your muscles are wrapped in a tough, flexible tissue called myofascia. A trigger point is a tight “knot” that forms in your myofascia. Perhaps the most important thing to understand about trigger points is that they can cause referred pain–pain that is felt elsewhere in your body rather than at the location of the trigger point itself. This means that a trigger point in your shoulder may cause pain and immobility down in your wrist.
Different types of trigger points cause different types of pain. Active trigger points will cause more intense pain at rest and when touched (both at the location of the point and elsewhere). Latent trigger points will cause milder pain when touched (often at another location). Both can cause muscle weakness or impairment.
Which Conditions Can Dry Needling Therapy Benefit?
Our physiotherapists use dry needling to help manage several different musculoskeletal issues. It can help prepare your body for therapeutic exercise and other treatments by relieving pain and restoring mobility. Here are a few of the conditions that can benefit from dry needling:
- Chronic Headaches: Certain types of headaches stem from muscle tension. Dry needling releases that tension, providing relief.
- Joint Pain: Dry needling can help with neck, back, and jaw pain, including pain brought on by conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Overuse Injuries: Overuse injuries generally lead to overstretching or microtraumas that affect muscle and tendon tissue, which causes pain and immobility. Dry needling will help you find relief as you strengthen the affected muscle.
- Myofascial Pain: Finally, dry needling can, of course, help address any pain caused directly by trigger points in your myofascia.
If you’re struggling with persistent musculoskeletal pain, our therapists can help you know if dry needling might be a good choice.
What to Expect During Your Dry Needling Therapy Sessions
Our physiotherapists will first determine if dry needling might work for you through a comprehensive physical exam in which we look at your medical history, current symptoms, and overall rehabilitation goals. We’ll also check for trigger points using palpation (touch) or imaging technology.
If we think dry needling will work for your condition, we’ll develop a personalized care plan that incorporates it alongside other techniques tailored to your particular condition. We’ll most frequently utilize dry needling alongside other manual therapy techniques (such as joint mobilization or soft tissue manipulation) and therapeutic exercise. However, every plan is different!
During your dry needling session, we’ll have you relax, either seated or lying down, while our therapist sterilizes both the needles and the insertion points. We’ll then carefully insert the needle into the trigger point. You may feel some discomfort, especially if the trigger point is painful to the touch, although our therapists will work to make the process as comfortable as possible for you.
Most dry needling sessions last around 30 minutes. Some people feel an immediate improvement in their pain or mobility. Others may require a few more sessions to see results.
Either way, it’s vital that you keep moving and stretching after a dry needling session. Our therapists will give you specific exercises and instructions designed to resolve your underlying condition, and they’ll work together with dry needling to ensure you see full benefits.
Experience the Benefits of Dry Needling Therapy For Yourself!
Dry needling is a unique, hands-on approach to managing pain and mobility restriction. The physiotherapists at (practice name) will develop a customized program that ensures you experience the full benefits of dry needling therapy.
If you live in Calgary, AB and want to see if dry needling will work for you, request an appointment with us today!
Sources:
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Dry_needling
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Trigger_Points
- https://www.choosept.com/health-tips/dry-needling-physical-therapist-what-you-should-know
Tags: pain management, modalities, chronic pain
