Dry Needling is Natural Pain Relief
Dry Needling is the use of needles inserted into trigger points of muscles and other joint structures, including tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules in order to assist in the body in its own healing process. No medication is used in the process.
It is referred to as dry needling because no medication is being introduced through the needle like when you get a shot from the doctor. That would be wet needling. Since there is no medication being delivered, the diameter of the needle is much smaller, and therefore, much more comfortable than when you receive a shot from the doctor.
Dry Needling is used to help ease musculoskeletal pain. Depending on where the needle is inserted determines the technique used to treat it. If the needle is inserted into the trigger point or “knot” of a muscle, it can be twisted. This helps the muscle release a naturally-occurring compound called Adenosine. Adenosine a protein that your body uses to drive forward the reaction that unbinds a muscle and causes it to relax. The muscle should begin to relax instantaneously during the intervention.
The needles can also be used at the points where tendons/muscles attach to bones and at joint lines. Here, an intervention called periosteal pecking can be used. This causes micro-damage to the area of pain. This in turn increases blood flow to the area, which brings with it the cells needed to fix the tissue. Finally, the needles can be connected to electrical stimulation for greater improvement of blood flow and therapeutic effect to the area. Your therapist will determine which technique is right for you and your area of pain.
Dry Needling is not meant to be a treatment by itself. Instead, it is meant to be one intervention part of an overall, larger physical therapy plan of care. Dry needling works best when coupled with other manual therapy techniques, such as cupping and joint mobilization, as well as strength/stability exercises. The integration of this technique into our practice at Minneapolis Health and Wellness has been revolutionary, particularly for the treatment of Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) pain as well as Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) pain. If you think you may benefit from this intervention, please call to schedule a free consultation.
Click to read more about Dry Needling here.
