Dry Needling at Doreen
Understanding Dry Needling
Dry needling, a staple in physiotherapy, has gained traction as an effective technique for alleviating muscle tension and pain. This procedure involves inserting fine needles into the skin and muscle to target myofascial trigger points (MTrPs), which are essentially knots causing discomfort.
This therapeutic method is often confused with acupuncture due to the use of similar tools; but there’s a distinction between them. While both techniques involve needle insertion, dry needling aims at MTrPs that lead to musculoskeletal pain.
The magic behind dry needling lies in its ability to decrease muscle tightness while enhancing blood flow. To maximise effectiveness, physiotherapists usually pair this treatment with exercise and other techniques aimed at preventing reoccurrence of these pesky trigger points.
What are the Different Dry Needling Techniques?
Dry needling treatment involves a few techniques that physiotherapists use to help patients manage pain. One technique, known as superficial dry needling, involves inserting the needle up to 10 mm into the subcutaneous tissue.
This is not as deep as another method called deep dry needling, which targets myofascial trigger points within skeletal muscle. The goal here is to elicit a ‘local twitch response’ from these active trigger points in order to relieve pain.
Then there’s electrical dry needling. In this procedure, once needles are inserted at specific point sites on your body – just like with superficial or deep dry – they’re then connected via wires to an electric stimulation machine.
Interested in dry neeling? Book your appointment with us.
Benefits and Efficacy of Dry Needling
Dry needling in physiotherapy is a technique used to target trigger points, aiming to reduce pain intensity. Manual therapy such as dry needling physiotherapy has been observed to alleviate myofascial pain in individuals with temporomandibular joint dysfunction.
When needles are inserted into the skeletal muscle at these active trigger points, they elicit a local twitch response. This twitch can increase blood flow and decrease muscle tightness. It’s like hitting the reset button on your muscles. So you get more than just relief from point dry or trigger point dry discomfort – it’s about giving your body what it needs for long-term health.
Clinical evidence suggests this treatment method can be beneficial for conditions like plantar fasciitis or even subcutaneous tissue-related issues. However, studies also indicate we still have questions around its long-term benefits.
Dry Needling and Physiotherapy
Research shows that dry needling provides pain relief in the short term and is a technique to be used in conjunction with other treatment. [1] If you are interested in trying dry needling, contact our physiotherapy clinic at Doreen and we can discuss appropiate treatment to suits you.
References:
[1] M Chys et al. Clinical Effectiveness of Dry Needling in Patients with Musculoskeletal Pain—An Umbrella Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine (2023)