Dry Needling
An effective low risk treatment
Dry needling is an effective and low-risk treatment for myofascial pain syndrome. The procedure involves piercing trigger point areas within a muscle with a thin needle to help "reboot" the nervous system. Needling may also be used to stimulate healing of tendon areas with poor circulation.
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Dry needling is a technique that acupuncturists, physical therapists and other trained healthcare providers use to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement issues. It’s almost always used as part of a larger pain management plan that could include exercise, stretching, massage and other techniques. During this treatment, a provider inserts thin, sharp needles through your skin to treat underlying myofascial trigger points.
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questions on Dry Needling
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What is dry needling?
Dry needling is a therapeutic technique in which a trained physical therapist inserts small, sterile filament needles into the skin and muscle directly at a myofascial trigger point. This generates a twitch response, helping release muscle tension and pain.
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Is dry needling painful?
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. Some patients describe this feeling as a little electrical shock or cramping sensation. This twitch response is a positive and desirable reaction. Pain may also be felt in the referral zone, also and expected response to treatment.
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Is dry needling similar to acupuncture?
Although they use the same thin filament needles, acupuncture and dry needling are two very different treatments. In contrast to most schools of acupuncture, dry needling is strictly based on Western medicine principles and research. Acupuncture is used to treat Traditional Chinese Medical diagnoses of visceral and systemic dysfunction, while dry needling is used to assess and treat myofascial pain. Dry needling relieves pain by inactivating trigger points within muscles. Acupuncture achieves pain relief through the release of endorphins and creating balance in the body’s energy levels. Through the release of cortisol, acupuncture can also have an anti- inflammatory effect on the body. At PT Plus, our physical therapists are not licensed acupuncturists and do not practice acupuncture. Trigger Point Dry Needling and other physical therapy procedures are based on scientific neurophysiological and biomechanical principles.
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Are there side effects after dry needling?
Most patients report feeling sore following the procedure. Symptoms are usually described as sore muscles near the treatment area and in the areas of referred pain. Typically, the soreness lasts a few hours up to two days. Over this time, we may recommend applying heat or ice over the area, gentle stretching, and/or modifying your daily activities, depending on your individual response to the treatment and how sore you feel.
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How long does it usually take to see results?
Most patients notice improvements within a few visits
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How does dry needling fit into my physical therapy treatment plan
We’ve found that dry needling is most effective when used in conjunction with other physical therapy techniques and treatments. Dry needling is often useful early in treatment to help break the pain cycle. Once that is achieved, we may introduce additional physical therapy techniques.
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What is a trigger point, and how did I develop one?
Active trigger points consist of multiple contraction knots within a muscle, and they can develop due to injury, musculoskeletal dysfunction and overuse. Active trigger points impair a person’s ability to lengthen, strengthen or contract the muscle. As a result, the muscle shortens and compresses the structure around it, causing pain.
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