What is a dry needle?
Dry needling is a healing technique that is used, among other things, in the treatment of muscle pain and painful areas of the body. The treatment uses sterilized acupuncture needles which are then placed against active trigger points/muscle nodes. Drying out the overactive muscles will cause a contraction or shortening (also known as a twitch) in the muscle, resulting in reduced muscle activity. The cork itself will also be interpreted as a microtrauma (something similar to what happens with a shockwave), which in turn will lead to increased blood circulation in the area - which in turn leads to increased regeneration/healing.
Dry needling can be effective against both acute and chronic muscle pain - it can also promote healing in a number of musculoskeletal conditions.
Dry needling helps at several levels of the body to release tight, painful muscles. The technique itself involves inserting thin acupuncture needles into trained muscle bands containing a knot or "trigger point". During treatment, patients typically feel the muscle briefly snap or contract as the needle hits the target tissue. This feeling is not painful, although it is somewhat uncomfortable, but it ends in 2-3 seconds! Once the tissue is released, the physiotherapist can provide you with appropriate exercises to maintain proper function and mobility of the area.
What conditions does dry needling help?
Dry needling can help many common orthopedic conditions including:
- Sprained muscles
- Sports injuries.
- Tension headaches
- Pain and stiffness in the neck.
- Repetitive stress injuries (tennis elbow / patellar tendonitis / Achilles tendonitis)
- Pain in the lower back