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Dry Needling
Dry needling is a commonly used technique when treating musculoskeletal conditions. It involves the use of acupuncture needles being inserted into the affected muscle and targeting it’s trigger points. These myofascial trigger points are felt in the muscles as those ‘tender’ or ‘hard’ knots and are often quite uncomfortable to massage. The procedure is performed by a trained 4 Life Chiropractor with single-use sterile needles over a sanitized area of skin. Once the needle is inserted and pushed to the desired muscle depth, a ‘twitch response’ is found in the muscle; where it is then left to relax. Multiple trigger points can be found throughout the area by maneuvering the needle.
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How Does it Work?
Dry needling is a great form of soft tissue release that helps with muscle tension, pain levels, blood flow and nerve pain.
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Reduce muscle tension: Once the needle tip hits the trigger point, the muscle begins to twitch and contract. After 5-30 seconds the muscle then begins to relax and return to a normal state. Effectively you are turning the muscle on and off again to allow them fibers to relax.
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Reduce pain: Dry needling helps elicit a central nervous system response that reduces the tissues sensitivity to pain.
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Improve blood flow: The stimulation of the needle creates a response by the body that will pump more blood to the area. The blood carries substances that reduce inflammation, increase nutrition and pump out toxins; which are all vital for muscle recovery.
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Reduce nerve pain: Some of the tight and overactive muscles or fascia in the body can compress nerve pathways, leading to radiating pain and sensory changes. The most common area is in the buttocks, known as piriformis syndrome. Dry needling allows us to access the deep piriformis muscle trigger points and alleviate the nerve entrapment.​
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Dry Needling
When is is Used?
Dry needling may be used as an initial form of muscle release, or it may be used as a plan B if hands on soft tissue release isn’t providing the desired results. Some of the common conditions dry needling is used for are:
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Sciatica and piriformis syndrome
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Headaches and neck pain
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Postural tension
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Low back, mid back and rib pain
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Muscle strains
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Tendinopathies
