Dry needling is a westernised treatment modality aimed at reducing muscle spasm, improving blood flow and reducing muscular pain and dysfunction. Dry needling should not be confused with acupuncture which is an eastern medicine technique aimed at stimulation of the meridians (energetic pathways) within the body.
The application of dry needling involves the insertion of a sterile, stainless steel, small-gauged needle into the muscle/ tendon. Most often, you’ll hear your chiropractor refer to trigger points during the procedure. We aim to insert needles into trigger points which are found within your muscle belly. Trigger points are tight bands within a muscle which are suspended in a non resting state, known most commonly as a muscle spasm or “knot. “
The goal of dry needling is to decrease pain and increase joint and muscular range of motion. Dry needling is very specific as it increases blood flow locally which contributes to healing.
How does dry needling work?
When a muscle is overused/overworked, an energy crises occurs. When this happens, your muscle fibres don’t receive enough blood supply and hence, are starved of oxygen and nutrients. Without adequate oxygen and nutrients, your muscle struggles to return to its resting state. The tissue near the trigger point becomes acidic, stimulating nerve sensitivity, and thus more pain and decreased range of motion is experienced. (We often hear patients using terms such as feeling “locked up” or “stuck” which refers to a muscle a spasm.)
When we insert the needle, we temporarily create a trauma response, which stimulates an influx of blood flow back into that muscle. In order to get blood back into the affected muscle, a small prick and injury channel needs to be created. Thus, this trauma response is necessary for healing. This needle “prick” also stimulates your brain to release endorphins (which naturally decrease pain.) During the dry needling procedure you may feel a muscular contraction which is known as a local twitch response. This is a good sign as it indicates that the muscle is being stimulated.
Once normal blood supply returns, oxygen and nutrient concentration increases and thus, the resting state of the muscle can then be achieved. Once this happens, there is a restoration of range of motion, decreased pain and improved joint function.
When is dry needling used as treatment?:
- Cervical , thoracic or lumbar facet syndromes
- TMJ syndrome (jaw)
- “Pulled muscle”
- Migraine and tension headaches
- Whiplash
- Spinal disc herniations as a supportive treatment
- Pelvic pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Achilles tendinitis
Please contact us should you be suffering from pain in the spine and /or extremities. Dry needling can be an effective treatment choice for your condition. Coupled with chiropractic joint manipulative therapy, pain and dysfunction may be greatly improved. Chiropractors treat all joints in the body, not only spinal issues.
