Dry
needling
Dry Needling is a therapeutic technique in which a trained physical therapist inserts small, sterile solid filament needles into the skin and muscle directly at a trigger point. This generates a twitch response, helping release muscle tension and pain. The goal is to release or inactivate the trigger points and relieve pain.
what is a trigger point?
Trigger points consist of multiple contraction knots within a muscle, and they can develop due to injury, 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.
HOW DOES DRY NEEDLING WORK?
The exact mechanisms of dry needling are not known, however, we do know that there are both mechanical and biochemical effects. Pioneering studies by Dr Jay Shah and his colleagues at the National Institutes of Health have shown that inserting a needle into trigger points can cause favourable change that can assist in reducing chronic pain issues. It is essential to elicit local twitch responses, which are spinal cord reflexes. Getting local twitch responses with dry needling is the first step in breaking the pain cycle.
is dry needling & acupuncture the same kind of treatment?
Dry needling and acupuncture, while they use the same needle types, are two very different treatments. Dry needling is a therapeutic technique where a trained physical therapist inserts small, sterile, solid filament needles into the skin and muscle directly at a trigger point. The ultimate goal is to generate a “twitch response” which helps release the tension and pain located in the muscles. On the other hand, acupuncture involves the insertion of these thin needles through the skin at strategic points of the body. It is a key component of Traditional Chinese medicine that is believed to adjust and alter the body’s energy flow into healthier patterns.
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