There are several reasons a chiropractor or physical therapist may wish to include dry needling in a patient’s treatment, but first let’s discuss what dry needling is.
Dry needling is a procedure designed to ease muscle and joint pain. It is performed with a thin filiform needle to release knots or trigger points with a focus on the area of discomfort. A patient will occasionally feel an initial poke as the needle passes through the skin. After insertion it is typical to feel a twitch-response as the area is being treated but this is typically a comfortable sensation.
Dry needling is used in our office to treat muscle and joint pain by inactivating trigger points and improving range of motion. For the patient with severe, acute pain it is a valuable tool to comfortably improve their range of motion with the goal of performing active rehabilitation more quickly. Sciatica is a condition that can see significant and measurable improvements using dry needling in the clinic setting.
It is also important to distinguish that dry needling is not acupuncture. Acupuncture is performed by a licensed Acupuncturist and is based on traditional Chinese medicine. Dry needling follows modern Western principles and theories with some support in early stages of research.
So who should consider dry needling? If a person is in acute or chronic pain, deals with frequent stiffness in muscles or joints, and wishes to move and feel better during the day, dry needling may be able to help. Frequent knots causing tightness in shoulders, shoulder blades, and forearms can also see significant improvement with dry needling procedures. Plantar fasciitis, tendinitis, and other painful conditions typically respond well with dry needling as part of the treatment plan.
We typically see measurable improvements in pain and range of motion within 1-4 dry needling sessions.
Feel free to reach out to our office if you need assistance in finding a skilled clinician trained in dry needling in your area!
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