Dry Needling
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a technique that uses a solid, thin, monofilament needle that is inserted into soft tissue to treat pain and movement impairments. It uses a "dry" needle, one without medication, inserted directly into soft tissue including muscle, tendons, capsules and ligaments.
Is Dry Needling and Acupuncture the same thing? NO
Acupuncture uses eastern medicine principles like meridians and qi that were developed thousands of years ago to treat physical, mental and emotional pathologies.
Dry Needling utilizes the western medicine principles like neurology, physiology, and anatomy to treat neuro-physiological pathologies like decreased mobility, strength, function and pain.
While Acupuncture and dry needling may utilize the same monofilament needle, their ideology and treatment approach is significantly different.
Why Dry Needling?
There are many benefits of dry needling because it manages soft tissue inflammation and positively influences the function of your nervous system!
Some of the benefits you will experience with dry needling treatment:
- Improved blood flow
- Release of tension in muscles
- Decreased pain
- Increase in range of motion
- Increase in muscle strength
- Improved daily function
- inactivate trigger points
This can help speed up your return to activity or decrease your current pain during activity.
Dry needling is typically one technique that’s part of a larger treatment plan that includes stretching, postural correction and strengthening.