Dry Needling Therapy IN Dallas
Dry needling is a modern and fast-growing treatment designed to ease muscle pain. This treatment was developed over the past few decades and is used for stimulating irritable muscles and other trigger points.
People tend to confuse dry-needling with acupuncture. The only similarity between the two is that they use stainless steel needles.
We're going to delve into everything you need to know about dry needling therapy and whether you should give it a try.
What Is Dry Needling Therapy?
Dry needling (also called trigger point dry needling and intramuscular stimulation) is an invasive procedure where an acupuncture needle (or any fine needle) is inserted into the skin and muscles.
Dry needling is commonly employed by healthcare practitioners, like physiotherapists, chiropractors, and physicians. Some claim that the practice branched out of acupuncture, but it's considered a variation of trigger point injection.
Dry needling was first introduced in 1979 by Czech physician Karel Lewit for treating trigger points. Lewit observed that pain relief as a result of getting an injection on your trigger point was not connected to the drugs used. In other words, it seemed like the needle was doing all the work solo.
So let's take a look at what work the needles actually do.
What Does Dry Needling Do?
Dry needling relieves your muscles from aches and sores while also improving their flexibility and range of motion. Pain affects how your body moves. Dry needling changes the way your brain communicates with your muscles and lets your muscles return to their normal movement pattern.
Sometimes your muscles can develop knotted areas called trigger points. These are highly sensitive to touch and can be pretty painful (so don't go around poking them). To relieve you from your muscle pain, your clinician will push thin and solid needles through your skin and into the trigger points. The needles don't inject any medication; they only stimulate the tissue. The needles can either be pushed as far as the subcutaneous layer of the skin or deeper and into the muscle.
How long the needle stays depends on your pain. For short periods, the needles stay for seconds. Longer periods could be 10 to 15 minutes.
How Is Dry Needling Performed?
Dry needling practitioners use two different types of needling. Both depend upon the depth of penetration: Superficial dry needling and deep dry needling.
Superficial Dry Needling (SDN)
Superficial dry needling is done by inserting a needle through the skin and into your subcutaneous tissue. The needle may be manipulated when inserted.
Deep Dry Needling (DDN)
Deep dry needling dives a little deeper than SDN. It involves inserting a needle through your skin, beyond the subcutaneous tissue, into your muscular or other connective tissues. Sometimes, it's combined with needle manipulation.
When it comes to how your practitioner inserts the needle, two dry needling techniques are commonly employed.
In-and-Out Techniques
The in-and-out technique is exactly what it sounds like — inserting the needle in and pulling it back out. And the needles don't stay in your skin for too long. They are immediately removed once they prick your trigger point.
The two most common methods of this technique are pistoning and sparrow pecking. With pistoning, the dry needle is inserted into your skin, and it's moved up and down the trigger point like a piston. This technique is used to release muscle knots. With sparrow pecking, the needle is inserted in, hits the trigger point, and then quickly removed.
Non-Trigger Point Technique
Certain dry needling techniques focus on treating the broader landscape of the nervous system. So, instead of having a single needle work on one spot, your practitioner will insert several needles around your pain point. This is called the non-trigger point technique.
The non-trigger point technique relies on the idea that the source of your pain is from a greater nerve or muscular issue, not just the pain point itself.
What To Expect With Dry Needling?
Who Does Dry Needling?
The most common dry needling practitioners are physical therapists and sports injury therapists. Till date, it hasn't required an extensive training background since there is no board overseeing the practice. Because of this, make sure you choose a practitioner who's had post-graduate health education (like a physical therapist).
Benefits
The American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists states:
"Dry needling is a neurophysiological evidence-based treatment technique that requires effective manual assessment of the neuromuscular system. Physical therapists are well trained to utilize dry needling in conjunction with manual physical therapy interventions. Research supports that dry needling improves pain control, reduces muscle tension, normalizes biochemical and electrical dysfunction of motor end plates, and facilitates an accelerated return to active rehabilitation."
Dry needling therapy can provide some relief for certain muscle aches and stiffness. Since it focuses on trigger points, you may experience improved flexibility and an increased range of motion after some sessions. This is one of the main reasons it's used to treat muscle pain, sports injuries, and fibromyalgia pain. As medical experts come out with more research on the benefits of dry needling, we're confident you will expect to hear more benefits.
Risks
Expect some mild side effects from dry needling. But don't worry because serious ones are quite rare. The most common side effects you might experience around the injection are bleeding, bruising, and temporary soreness.
Ensure that your practitioner uses sterile needles and disposes of them after every use. Otherwise, you could be at risk for contracting blood-borne illnesses, infections, and diseases.
Should You Worry About the Risks?
These risks shouldn't stop you from exploring dry needling as an option. The major risks stem from misuse and not the actual therapy itself.
Also, in more cases than not, the benefits heavily outweigh the risks.
How Long Does It Take Dry Needling to Work?
The duration of the benefits of dry needling depends upon the individual.
After your post-treatment soreness, you will experience some improvement in your symptoms within a day or two. Your practitioner's goal with every subsequent session is to release you from your pain. Every session will end with a bit of soreness, but they will result in quicker and longer-lasting results.
What Should You Not Do After Dry Needling?
Here's a list of things you should not do after a dry needling session:
Don't use any cold treatment for the sores for any soreness. Use heat instead. You may apply ice for a short period of time to the bruising area.
Do NOT drink alcohol because it could dehydrate you. Dehydration can worsen your soreness and bruising. Drink plenty of water instead. And if you do drink any alcohol, keep it to a minimum and follow up with plenty of water.
Don't overwork yourself. You might be tempted to get in a workout after your dry needling session, especially if you have a routine going. Some light exercise and stretching are acceptable and could alleviate residual soreness and speed up your recovery. However, do not push your body, especially if the physical activity begins to cause any pain.
How Long Do the Effects of Dry Needling Last?
The number of sessions you require depends on your body and the kind of pain you're experiencing. If you suffer from acute pain, usually, one session does the trick. If chronic pain ails you, then you'll require several treatments to get better. Whatever be the case, if you don't feel the effects after the first session, we recommend you continue with more treatments. Dry needling has a cumulative effect. Your practitioner will determine how many sessions you require based on your condition after the first session.
Is Dry Needling Your Best Option?
Unless you have trypanophobia (fear of needles), we highly recommend trying dry needling, especially if you have post-workout muscle soreness from knots or injuries.
It's a simple, quick, and effective method to heal your trigger points from long-term pain and soreness. Like any other treatment, there are risks involved. But the benefits of continued deep needling therapy outweigh the risks.
Give dry needling a shot if you're looking to add value to your muscle recovery.
Book an appointment with us in Dallas today! We have many highly trained professionals at our clinics.