Reasons to try Dry Needling for Pain Relief

Reasons to try Dry Needling for Pain Relief

Dry needling is a skilled intervention that uses a thin filiform needle to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying myofascial trigger points, muscular, and connective tissues for the management of neuromusculoskeletal pain and movement impairments. Dry needling (DN) is a technique used to treat dysfunctions in skeletal muscle, fascia, and connective tissue, and, diminish persistent peripheral nociceptive input, and reduce or restore impairments of body structure and function leading to improved activity and participation.  Here are 5 reasons you should try dry needling for pain relief.

• Relax Tight Muscles

Dry Needling is like a reset button for your muscles. Physiotherapists can identify these ‘knots’ or ‘trigger points’ and can use dry needling to help restore the muscles to its normal length. The mechanism of action is not fully understood but is thought to work by altering the electrical activity in the region which results in a twitch response which effectively “resets” the muscle back to a normal resting length.

• Improve Blood Flow

Muscles that are ‘tight’ can cause pain that refers to other areas of the body. Dry needling seeks out trigger points and releases them using an ultra-thin acupuncture needle. With relaxed muscles comes improved blood flow!

• Decrease Pain & Release Neurotransmitters

Dry needling activates the body to release opiate peptides like beta-endorphins, enkephalins, and dynorphins. These neurotransmitters work to block transmission of pain information to the brain and spinal cord.

• Improve Movement

Patients that undergo dry needling typically see an improvement in their range of motion, or how much they can move. This improved movement is due to dry needling releasing trigger points, increasing blood flow, and reducing pain.

• Treat Chronic Pain

Dry needling can treat a variety of pain, both acute and chronic. It’s used as part of a larger treatment plan to effectively manage conditions like shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, whiplash disorders, headaches, plantar fasciitis, tennis/golf elbow, sciatica and more.

–       We will take an individualized approach to treating your dysfunction and pain. We will look not just at your area of pain but consider the muscle and its relationship to surrounding muscles and bones. We are your movement specialists.

–       We offer Manual Therapy and Dry Needling services to target areas of tissue restriction or where trigger points have developed.  Specific therapeutic exercises will be designed just for you! Please call any time. 907-748-0022