Dry Needling
Say Goodbye to Muscle Pain with Dry Needling
New ideas and new concepts are continuously being used to treat patients with all sorts of aches and pains. As patients we should continuously ask questions of our healthcare providers regarding new practices and treatment options.
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One treatment option that is becoming more and more popular is dry needling. Dry Needling involves the insertion and manipulation of a thin filament needle to stimulate the healing process of soft tissues resulting in pain relief and restoration of healthy physiology. The areas targeted include muscle “trigger points” like the fascia, tendons and ligaments. Stimulation occurs when the inserted thin needle creates a twitch response deeper in the muscle that hands and fingers cannot reach.
Dry needling is never used as a standalone treatment option. Instead, it’s effectively combined with manual soft tissue manipulation, specific stretches, targeted exercises, and occasionally a modality of pain-free electrical stimulation. All these techniques work synergistically to elicit the much-sought-after twitch response. This twitch originates directly from the muscle fibers, signaling a therapeutic effect.
Research has consistently shown that dry needling offers a multitude of benefits for patients. Not only does it aid in enhancing pain control, but it also effectively reduces muscle tension. Furthermore, dry needling plays a crucial role in normalizing both the biochemical and electrical dysfunctions that can occur at motor endplates. Most notably, patients who undergo this treatment often experience a quicker and smoother transition back to active rehabilitation.
A deep pain relief for acute and chronic symptoms across the body sounds great, but with the word “needle” in the name some are turned off. The process is actually very simple ñ and pain free. The needles are inserted into the tissues and muscles where the pain is being experienced. The feeling is described as the “slight poke of a toothpick – painless.”
Almost instantly after insertion, you will feel gentle pressure ñ like a small, blunt object – until the needle is in place. Then, there may or may not be gentle electrical stimulation to the increase the pain relief. The unit is connected to the needles themselves and when the intensity of the stimulation is increased, the twitch or “flex” of the muscle occurs. The sensation continues to be pain-free. It is just the feeling of your muscles working without having to tell them to. Once the response occurs, the needle position may be adjusted to hit all the target spots for relief. After a few movements, the needles were removed and immediate relief is felt. Even after treatment is finished, and as the day goes on, you will feel continued loosening of the tissues.
How about giving physical therapy a try? A chat with one of our therapists could be just the thing to discover if this treatment is your perfect fit. We’d love to hear from you! Call us today at 414-246-9184 or simply fill out this form to set up a friendly chat. Can’t wait to connect with you!