What is dry needling and how will it help you?
At Logan Myotherapy, dry needling forms a large part of our treatment process as it offers a range of benefits from fast pain relief and improved mobility to enhanced athletic performance.
Dry needling involves inserting solid, thin needles (as used in acupuncture) into muscle sore spots or trigger points, helping the muscle relax and return to pain free function.
Trigger points are tender knots within muscle tissue. They shorten muscles, restrict movement, irritate nerves, and create pain. Most musculoskeletal problems including headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, and back pain involve trigger points.
Is Dry Needling the Same as Acupuncture?
No. Dry needling is based on Western medicine, focusing on treating physical pain. Acupuncture is founded in traditional Chinese medicine and aims to balance the body’s energy flow, or “chi”.
Benefits of dry needling
- Quick pain relief: Dry needling can provide fast pain relief, often within seconds, making it a highly effective option for muscular pain and injuries.
- Pinpoint accuracy: It is incredibly precise, especially for targeting deep muscles like those in the glutes or back.
- Faster healing: It can help accelerate the healing process by increasing blood flow to injured areas.
- Reduced muscle tension and spasm: Dry needling helps the muscle relax and return to it’s normal, pain free function.
- Complementary: Dry needling is a standalone treatment or in combination with other treatment techniques.
- Research backed: Study’s show dry needling provides superior short and long-term pain relief than other pain relieving treatments such as massage, stretching, conventional rehabilitation, and rolling.
Who is dry needling for?
Dry needling is for anyone with any kind of musculoskeletal pain – whether it’s new, old, or just something you’ve been putting up with.
- Active adults with neck, back, or shoulder pain
- People suffering from headaches, migraines, or TMJ
- Office workers struggling with tension and posture issues
- Athletes with tight hips, hamstrings, or plantar fasciitis
- Those recovering from sports or work injuries
- Anyone fed-up living with physical pain and dysfunction
Give it a go
If you’re dealing with persistent muscle pain that hasn’t responded well to other treatments, dry needling could be the solution you’ve been looking for. Book an appointment or call today to discuss whether this treatment is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dry needling for everyone?
Although dry needling offers a range of benefits from fast pain relief and improved mobility to enhanced athletic performance, it is not for everyone. People with certain medical conditions, such as bleeding disorders or needle phobia, may not be suitable for needling. For those clients, we provide alternative treatment techniques to ensure effective care.
Are there any dry needling side affects?
Common myotherapy dry needling side effects may include:
- Temporary soreness, bruising, or minor bleeding at the needle insertion site. These side effects are usually mild and subside quickly.
- Some people feel tired, nauseous, emotional, or ‘out of it’ which is a short term reaction lasting no more than a hour or two.
- Treatment can “temporarily” make the condition worse.
- Serious complications are rare but can include infection, nerve irritation, or allergic reaction.
What can I expect after dry needling treatment?
Some people experience immediate pain relief as soon as the needles are withdrawn. For most, it will take a few hours to a few days for improvements to take place.
Is dry needling painful?
Most people barely feel the needle insertion. If they do, it usually feels like a quick prick. Some may also notice a brief cramp or local twitch response.
What do I wear?
We keep disrobing to a minimum. Please wear loose clothing such as shorts, tracksuit pants, singlets, t-shirts, sports tops. Avoid tight fitting cloths such as jeans.
