Dry Needling is the insertion of solid, fine, filiform needles into your skin. Filiform needles are very fine, solid stainless steel needles that don’t inject fluid into the body. Hence the term ‘dry’. These needles are the same needles used in acupuncture but there is a notable difference between the application of needles in acupuncture compared to dry needling.
The needles are commonly placed in trigger points which are areas of hyper-reactivity and sensitivity in skeletal muscles. These trigger points are often known to cause notable amounts of discomfort and reduced function in the muscle. Placing needles in these helps to settle the hyper-reactivity and hypersensitivity of these points.
Within the scope of dry needling there are many different ways of inserting the needles and these go beyond just trigger points but all aim to assist in muscle relaxation, pain analgesia, blood flow and healing stimulation and settling hypersensitive areas.
COMMON DRY NEEDLING QUESTIONS:
Will I feel it & Does it hurt?
The needles are so fine they are rarely felt on insertion and treatment is one which often only has a very short period of slight discomfort. The local twitch felt from the stimulation of the trigger points can be felt as a slight cramp or muscle contraction with a brief pain response but this is often very short lived and eases within a 20seconds to a minute. Following this, the needles are left in for a period of 5-15 minutes depending on the aim and clients commonly experience a feeling of relaxation or heaviness in the limbs during this time.
What to expect after dry needling?
Following dry needling you will often have some post treatment soreness just like that of massage which can last for 24-48hours. Most people report 12 hours then just a tenderness on touching the treated area. Some soreness post treatment is often the only common side effect but this is often less than a client’s pre needling pain. Occasional bruising can occur but this is not dangerous or ineffective. You can use heat following treatment to assist in the healing and post treatment tenderness.
Is Dry Needling Safe?
Yes! Dry needling is a very safe treatment. Our physiotherapists are trained experts in anatomy and dry needling technique. We use sterile, single use needles which are individually packed and very fine (0.20-0.30mm). As mentioned above, occasional bruising can occur but this is so minimal it is not dangerous. Our physios have a deep understanding of dry needling techniques and the anatomy to ensure their dry needling practice is very safe.
What’s the difference between Acupuncture and Dry Needling?
Acupuncture is a long standing traditional treatment which stems from traditional Chinese medicine theories of meridians and energy. In acupuncture, the needles are placed along acupoints along the meridians to assist energy through the meridians. Acupuncture can also be used for a variety of different outcomes. Acupuncture should only be performed by qualified acupuncturists who have completed a relevant degree in such. We currently only perform dry needling but will update you if we get an acupuncturist on board!
What can Dry Needling help with?
Dry needling is almost always used as a part of your overall physio management which will usually also include other manual therapy techniques, taping, education and exercise prescription. Dry needling can help with a large variety of conditions and problems but the list below is a notable few of them.Dry needling can't necessarily fix some of the below conditions (such as disc injury) but it can help alleviate the signs and symptoms of such.
- Muscle tension/injury/soreness
- Tendon & Ligament injury/soreness
- Migraines/tension headaches
- Jaw and mouth pain and tension
- Tendonitis
- Pain following a fall or whiplash
- Scar tissue
- Joint problems
- Disc problems
- Arthritis
- Overuse injuries
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Shoulder pain.
- Knee pain.
- Achilles tendonitis.
- Sciatica.
- Plantar fasciitis.
- Hip and gluteal pain.
- Assisting in alleviating inflammation
- Assisting healing and blood flow
- Post-herpetic neuralgia (pain left behind by shingles)
The full list of conditions dry needling can be helpful to include in a treatment plan is exhaustive. If you're unsure if your condition may be helped, please feel free to Contact us and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
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