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What Exactly Is Dry Needling?

Often confused with acupuncture, dry needling or intramuscular manual therapy is a technique which is largely used in Western medicine. A licensed therapist inserts a number of “dry” needles in the skin, targeting a specific regions in the muscle and trigger points. The filament needle is a fine, thin one, and the process is called “dry” because it does not include additional medication or injections. Trigger points are specific taut bands of muscles, found deep into a larger muscular area. Once this trigger point is targeted and stimulated correctly it can help relieve and release the pain and discomfort.

What’s The Difference Between Acupuncture & Dry Needling?

The biggest difference between dry needling and acupuncture is the fact that the first is used in Western medicine and performed by licensed physicians, while the latter is mostly related to Eastern philosophy and medicine and performed by acupuncturists. At My Physio My Health, we make sure that all appropriate conditions are met so that your therapy is effective and risk-free.

What Can Dry Needling Help Me With?

Dry needling is mainly used to alleviate body pains and musculoskeletal conditions, greatly helping with mobility and muscle restoration. It can also aid with stressed muscles, soreness, neck pain, arthritis, back pain, and also headaches and similar irritations. Most physiotherapists combine it with one-one-one sessions or group excercise programs.

Are There Any Side Effects of Dry Needling?

Due to the fact that the needles stimulate trigger points, there is a slight chance that you may experience a bit of muscle ache during the session. Depending on the sensitivity of the patient’s skin mild redness and bruising around the insertion area have also been mentioned. These occurrences aren't permanent and are not dangerous to your overall health.

However, similar to any medical procedure, all safety precautions and sanitary measures must be taken, e.g. sterile needles are to be used for each and every therapy session, which is exactly what we do at My Physio My Health, since your health is our primary goal.

For more information about our dry needling treatment please contact us or book an appointment online at Holden Hill, Lightsview, Woodville, Kilkenny, Prospect or Torrensville.

Dry Needling FAQ

Dry needling is a technique where a number of ‘dry’ needles are inserted into the skin, targeting a specific region in the muscle and trigger points. Once the trigger point is targeted and stimulated correctly it can help and release the pain and discomfort.
Trigger points consist of several contraction ‘knots’ within a muscle, and they can develop due to injury, musculoskeletal dysfunction or overuse. Active trigger points may affect a muscle’s ability to lengthen and contract. As a result, the muscle compresses the structures around it, causing discomfort.
Acupuncture and dry needling are two very different treatments, even though they use the similar thin filament needles. Dry needling is strictly based on Western medicine principles and research, and it is used to assess and treat myofascial pain. Acupuncture is used to treat Traditional Chinese Medical diagnoses of visceral and systemic dysfunction. Dry needling relieves pain by ‘deactivating’ trigger points within muscles. Acupuncture achieves pain relief through the release of endorphins and creating balance in the body’s energy levels. Dry Needling is based on scientific neurophysiological and biomechanical principles.
The needle used in the procedure is very thin and most patients don’t even feel it penetrate the skin. The twitch response usually elicits a very brief (less than a second) painful response. Clients may describe this feeling as a little electrical shock or cramping sensation. This twitch response is a positive and desirable reaction, necessary to start healing process. Pain may also be felt in the referral zone.
Clients may typically notice a positive reaction within a few visits. Clients may report improvements in mobility and reductions in tightness and pain.
We believe that dry needling is most effective when used in conjunction with other physiotherapy techniques and treatments. Dry needling is often particularly useful early in treatment to help break the pain cycle. Once that is achieved, we may introduce additional physiotherapy techniques.

My Physio My Health

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