Dry needling has been steadily growing in popularity with patients who are seeking pain relief and is a service offered at Bell Family Chiropractic. Dr. Bell has had extensive training in superficial dry needling therapy, a much more gentle and effective dry needling approach.
Here are answers to the five most common questions about our dry needling services and how it can provide relief from muscle pain.
1 – What Exactly is Dry Needling?
Put extremely simply, dry needling is a treatment that focuses on pain trigger points (or the knots in your musclescaused by fascial disruption) to alleviate and eventually remove them (1). There are many other forms of trigger point therapy that work in a similar way to dry needling, but use different tools or massage techniques and are not as gentle to the patient.
Dry needling uses the technique of precisely placing small filiform needles in your muscular and connective tissues. This stimulates the myofascial trigger points, which in turn improves your muscles movement and reduces pain (2).
2 – Is Dry Needling the Same as Acupuncture?
While there are similarities; they are both pain relief techniques that use filiform needles, the two are not the same. Acupuncture is based on the idea that when pain occurs in the body, it is because energy cannot flow freely through the body. So needles are placed at these points along the body, with the aim to redirect the flow of energy and trigger the body’s physical, mental and emotional healing response.
Dry needling, on the other hand, gets right to the direct source of your pain. Or to be more precise, the myofascial pain causes by restrictions within your muscle tissue. Chiropractors identify the problem areas in your muscles, and place the needle in the skin above causing an irritant and the muscle and fascia to return to normal.
3 – What Pain can be Treated by Dry Needling?
Dry needling is mostly used for pain, but is also effective at addressing mobility issues. The most common ailments treated by dry needling are;
- Lower Back Pain
- Sciatica
- Headaches and Migraines
- Groin, Hamstring and Muscle Strain
- Shoulder, Neck, Knee and Hip Pain
- Carpal Tunnel
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Tendonitis
- Trigger Points (3)
4 – What Does Dry Needling Feel Like?
Some people can be weary of using needles as a treatment, but the main thing to remember is dry needling is there to relieve pain, not cause it. Filiform needles penetrate the skin with little to no sensation. At times in can burn a little going in, but ceases almost immediately. Often times patients don’t even realize a needle is in them.
5 – What Are the After Effects of Dry Needle Therapy?
The most common after effect is soreness, your muscles have essentially gone through the same process as as work out, so it can feel like you’ve had a heavy gym session for a day. You can help reduce this pain by gentle stretching, drinking plenty of water, and muscle massage.
Try Our Dry Needling Services
Dry needling is included in the cost of the patient’s adjustment if Dr. Bell feels that is therapy that will help the patient. No extra fee to have it done. Go here to schedule your New Patient Consultation.