What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a technique for the treatment of pain and movement impairments. The technique uses a "dry" needle, one without medication or injection, inserted through the skin into areas of the muscle. Sometimes the treatment may include electrical stimulation in combination with the dry needle technique.
Dry needling is not acupuncture, a practice based on traditional Chinese medicine and performed by acupuncturists.
What makes Dry Needling different from Acupuncture?
Dry needling relies on the practitioners knowledge of skeletal and neuroanatomy. This knowledge allows one to identify damaged and sensitive tissues, taut bands, and trigger points as well as injured and overused tissues. Physical therapists trained in this technique utilize an examination that includes movement analysis, orthopedic evaluation, and a neurological workup that includes myotomal and dermatomal testing.
Acupuncture is an ancient traditional Chinese technique that utilizes the knowledge of meridians. This focus allows an acupuncturist to work on a person's inner balance, energy, qi, and one's life-force. Work up and exam includes physical, tongue, and pulse examination. Traditional acupuncture has been widely studied and practiced for thousands of years.
What should be expected from Dry Needling?
Dry Needling is performed by a trained and certified physical therapist and is a safe treatment technique. After a thorough examination this treatment option may be discussed with patient as a viable treatment option.
The area of treatment is thoroughly sanitized and the therapist uses single use acupuncture needles. Depending on the area being treated the application of the needles may take 10 minutes and is applied in and around the affected treatment area. The treatment time is usually around 20 minutes.
Sometimes we add electrical stimulation or e-stim, an electrical current transferred through the dry needle that can help accelerate the pain-relief process.
What does Dry Needling treat?
Dry needling treats muscle tissue, and its goal is to reduce pain, inactivate trigger points and restore function. Typical conditions that can be treated by dry needling include:
Neck and back pain
Myofascial pain
Tendonitis
Tennis elbow
Plantar fasciitis
Trigger points
TMJ
Shoulder impingement
Joint problems
Headaches and migraines
Does Dry Needling hurt?
Dry needles are very thin, so the insertion of the needle into the skin is typically painless. The needle insertion into the muscle may cause an initial muscle twitch in the affected area which might cause some momentary discomfort. Once treatment begins the patient will feel no pain.
Due to the nature of the treatment and desired outcomes, a patient may experience some mild soreness after treatment. This is to be expected as part of the healing process. The soreness usually lasts only 24 hours.
Pritchette Physical Therapy has trained and certified Dry Needling physical therapists. If you would like to explore this treatment option, please contact our office at 480-785-5415 to schedule an appointment.