DRY NEEDLING
Dry needling is the practice of inserting sterile single use acupuncture needles into tender spots in damaged muscles known as myofascial trigger points. A trigger point is a bundle of contraction knots in a muscle, which produce tension and maintain a cycle of pain, and can be found with almost every injury.
Acupuncture needles are much thinner than standard syringes and can penetrate muscle tissue with no significant risk of causing scar tissue. Despite the use of the same needles, dry needling and acupuncture are not the same. Dry needling is exclusively aimed at treating trigger points, which are different to acupuncture points. Releasing a trigger point through dry needling relieves pain and allows a muscle to return to its original state. Therapists who practice dry needling undergo specialist training to do so. Dry needling can be used to treat many different conditions such as tight muscles, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, back pain, golfers/tennis elbow, knee pain, and calf cramps. Dry needling has been documented as the most successful technique in eliminating muscle tension caused by trigger points.
Acupuncture needles are much thinner than standard syringes and can penetrate muscle tissue with no significant risk of causing scar tissue. Despite the use of the same needles, dry needling and acupuncture are not the same. Dry needling is exclusively aimed at treating trigger points, which are different to acupuncture points. Releasing a trigger point through dry needling relieves pain and allows a muscle to return to its original state. Therapists who practice dry needling undergo specialist training to do so. Dry needling can be used to treat many different conditions such as tight muscles, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, back pain, golfers/tennis elbow, knee pain, and calf cramps. Dry needling has been documented as the most successful technique in eliminating muscle tension caused by trigger points.