DRY NEEDLING
First things first, dry needling and acupuncture are very different treatments.
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine where the purpose of treatment is to realign or balance one’s energy system or chi.
The treatment offered in my practice is known as Dry Needling, this treatment method is part of western medicine. Its primarily used to release or inactivate trigger points to help relieve pain or improve range of motion. This technique also enhances blood flow helping to stimulates the body’s natural healing process.
Trigger points are highly sensitive areas on the body that can be painful to touch, they are also often the cause of referred pain (pain that effects other parts of the body).
Sometimes these trigger points can feel like a muscle knot (a tight, hard band of tissue under the skin).
Pain affects how our body moves, by using dry needling we are trying to normalise dysfunction of the motor end plates, this is where the nerve pulses are transmitted.
Ultimately, we are trying to change the way the brain and the muscles talk to each other, allowing our body to regain normal, pain free movement.
How does it work?
A very fine needle will be placed into the soft tissue or muscle, typically the needles will only be used for a couple of minutes and will be part of a larger treatment plan.
You rarely feel the needles go in, you can experience different sensations when the needles are used, heat, muscle twitches, a dull ache, mild soreness, these are all completely normal reactions, most of the time patients find the process quite relaxing.
We can treat a variety of issues with dry needling:
Muscle tension and pain
Tendinitis
Muscle spasms
Whip lash
Repetitive strain injuries
Joint problems
Important to note:
Dry needling will never be used in treatment without your full consent, dry needling is not suitable for pregnant women or if you suffer with a needle phobia.
If you regularly give blood you may be asked to wait 3 months before being able to make your next donation.
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