What is dry needling?
Dry needling is a treatment used to alleviate painful trigger points, the deep tissue is released during dry needling this allows for improvements in both pain and movement. When the small filament needle is placed into a painful, knotted muscle it produces a local twitch reflex, which is both diagnostic and therapeutic as it is the first step in breaking the pain cycle. When the needle is then removed from the skin, pressure is applied directly to the skin over the insertion to help prevent swelling or soreness. The needle will stay in place for anywhere from two to fifteen minutes.
What are the advantages of dry needling?
A solid filament needle is inserted into the affected muscle which then causes a controlled lesion. The body will respond by activating the immune system because it views the needle as a foreign invader. The cut muscle fibers trigger an inflammatory response that your body will use to reduce inflammation systematically throughout the body rather than just locally. The needles that are used for treatment do not contain liquid and are actually solid, this is the reason why this treatment is called “dry needling” Dry needles are used in all forms of acupuncture.
- Relaxes muscles
- Increases blood flow
- Improves inflammation
- Triggers a healing response
