Exploring the Benefits of Dry Needling for Natural Pain Relief
Dry needing is a therapeutic technique designed to address the muscular pain and difficulty with mobility that is often caused by myofascial trigger points.¹ One way to alleviate the pain associated with myofascial trigger points is by eliciting a local twitch response from the problematic muscle. That local twitch response then disrupts the myofascial trigger point and the pain associated is then relieved. ¹
When receiving dry needling at Healthy Core, we not only focus on the trigger points that may be causing you pain, but we also address various spots in your body to help you maintain function even after your pain has been addressed. Additionally, research has shown that dry needling into one side of your body can actually impact the same area on the opposite side of your body! ¹ For this reason, we address both sides of the body during our dry needling visits even if there is only pain or dysfunction on one side.
In addition to addressing myofascial trigger points, dry needling can target ligaments and tendons, fascia, and nerves to promote healing and restore function. ¹ The therapeutic use of dry needling also helps to increase blood flow to the area in which the needles are applied. There is a correlation between decreased blood flow and pain levels, so addressing the lack of blood flow will also have a positive effect on the pain and dysfunction you may be experiencing. ¹
At Healthy Core, we pay special attention to the muscles that are both above and below where you are experiencing pain, as the area of pain may not be where the actual problem is occurring. We often see other muscles with tension that are pulling at the site of pain, so by addressing those tight muscles, they stop pulling and decrease the pain. This is also true for nerve pain, such as sciatic pain. We will address the areas that are supplied by the nerve because that nerve could be irritated anywhere along its path and we want to be comprehensive in how we treat each individual.
Not only do we complete a thorough and holistic evaluation on every individual - as each person is different - we also come up with a customized treatment plan to best address the pain and dysfunction you are experiencing. The treatment plan may include dry needling if it is appropriate for the condition you are seeking help for, but it can also include skilled physical therapy treatment as needed.
Check out more information on Integrative Dry Needling from one of our previous blogs that you can find here!
References:
1. Dunning, J., Butts, R., Mourad, F., Young, I., Flannagan, S., & Perreault, T. (2014). Dry needling: a literature review with implications for clinical practice guidelines. Physical therapy reviews : PTR, 19(4), 252–265.
Written by Regina Saxon, PT, DPT - August 2023
