Dry Needling has become a common treatment for various types of injuries, and most physical therapists currently offer it. However many people are still unfamiliar with dry needling. So what is dry needling exactly, and how do you know if it’s the right treatment for you?
Dry needling is a safe, slightly uncomfortable, and often efficient therapy for individuals with certain musculoskeletal presentations. Dry needling is a procedure conducted by qualified and registered professional physical therapists. For the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal discomfort and mobility limitations, a thin monofilament needle enters the skin and addresses underlying muscular trigger points.
What is a trigger point, exactly?
A trigger point is simply a tight band or local contracture in a muscle fiber that can impair function, limit range of motion, cause pain, and general soreness. Dry needling can relieve banding or tightness, promote blood flow, and diminish local and referred pain when administered to a malfunctioning muscle or trigger point.
It’s vital to distinguish between dry needling and acupuncture. It makes use of similar tools, but that’s all there is to it. Varying practitioners with different levels of training practice dry needling. Dry needling is a Western medicine treatment using the evaluation of pain patterns, posture, movement impairments, function, and orthopedic tests. However acupuncture is based on Eastern medicine.
The objective of DRY NEEDLING is to relieve discomfort, inactivate trigger points, and restore function to muscle tissue. It is almost never performed as a stand-alone procedure. Rather, it is frequently used as part of a broader physical therapy approach that includes other standard physical therapy procedures.
Dry needling can help with shoulder, neck, heel, hip, and back pain, among other musculoskeletal conditions. While evidence shows that dry needling is a safe and effective way to treat and manage pain, some insurance companies may not cover the cost.
If you are injured and need physical therapy in the Asheville NC area, we’d love to connect with you!
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