Physical therapists are no strangers to the many manual techniques they can add to their toolbox. From Graston to KT tape or even cupping, the options are endless. If used appropriately, the underlying goal is to help patients restore mobility, reduce pain, and improve overall function.
One tool gaining prominence within the realm of physical therapy is dry needling. But what exactly is dry needling, and how can it benefit you?
Let's dive more into this procedure and explore its benefits and effectiveness.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a specialized technique skilled physical therapists use to alleviate pain and improve mobility.
Unlike traditional acupuncture, which follows Eastern medicine principles, dry needling is rooted in Western medicine concepts and targets muscular trigger points, also known as myofascial trigger points.
During a dry needling session, a fine needle is inserted into these trigger points, creating a local twitch response within the muscle fibers.
This response helps reduce pain, temporarily improve mobility, and promote blood circulation. It's called "dry" needling because no medication or substance is injected; the needle stimulates the body's natural healing abilities.
Benefits of Dry Needling
Temporary Pain Relief
Dry needling can be a helpful tool for managing both acute and chronic pain conditions. However, it's important to note that muscles aren't being released in any way, shape or form.
Like other forms of manual therapy, dry needling can help desensitize aggravated structures or tissues. The scientific mechanism creates a transient biomechanical effect and decreases activation of the supraspinal regions responsible for central pain processing.
Did you read that a few times and still trying to understand?
Don't worry.
The entire pain science and gateway theory is quite complex.
Simply put, forms of manual therapy, including dry needling, help provide immediate, and short-term relief. The procedure does so by interrupting how pain signals are sent to the brain and reducing the sensitivity of mechanoreceptors in our skin.
Improved Range of Motion
Pain and muscular tension can limit your range of motion. Dry needling provides a sense of relaxation to these muscles, enabling you to move more freely.
This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with low pain thresholds or who experience fear or anxiety towards movement, particularly with shoulder or lower back-related pain.
Dry needling can help you take advantage of the temporary increase in mobility and include stretches, exercises, and movement patterns to speed up your recovery time.
By improving mobility and reducing pain, dry needling can rebuild confidence in your body and encourage you to move more freely - ultimately helping you take control of your pain.
Enhanced Healing
Dry needling stimulates blood flow to the targeted area, delivering essential nutrients and oxygen that aid in tissue repair.
It can accelerate healing and recovery, making it an ideal complement to managing tendinopathies alongside other physical therapy interventions.
Chronic Pain Management
For chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia or myofascial pain syndrome, dry needling offers a non-pharmacological approach that addresses the root cause of pain.
I've had numerous patients come in and state that they could experience the rest of the evening and the next day with minimal symptoms following a dry needling session.
For someone in a chronic and heightened state of sensitivity for months or even years, a day or two in relief can build a therapeutic alliance and provide an opportunity for aerobic exercise or resistive strengthening that the patient otherwise wouldn't tolerate.
Evidence-Based Support: The effectiveness of dry needling is supported by scientific research. Two notable resources provide valuable insights into its benefits:
Kietrys et al. (2013): A systematic review published in the "Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation" examined the effects of dry needling on pain reduction and disability. The study concluded that dry needling effectively reduced pain and improved function in various musculoskeletal conditions compared to sham or placebo treatments.
Chunhui he, et al. (2017): Another systematic review published in the "Journal of Pain Research" focused on using dry needling for plantar heel pain. The study found that dry needling temporarily improved pain and function among individuals with plantar heel pain and encouraged more extensive studies to be conducted in this area.
Treatable Conditions
Dry needling can treat a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to:
Joint issues
Tendonitis
Headaches
Plantar Fasciitis
Fibromyalgia
Disc related issues
Lower back pain
Sinus related issues
Whiplash
Conclusion
Current research suggests that dry needling can be a helpful way to reduce or control pain, increase range of motion, and speed up the healing process. These benefits should encourage physical therapists to consider this option in their treatment plan.
Let's say you're looking for an alternative to other forms of pain management or simply an evidence-based approach that can provide quick, short-term relief.
In this case, I recommend discussing dry needling with a qualified physical therapist who can incorporate this particular method into your treatment plan. This can be especially helpful if you've hit a wall in your progress aly want to try something new.
While dry needling can offer some benefits, it's essential to understand its limitations.
Dry needling is not a magic tool for long-term relief.
Dry Needling is not a substitute for more effective forms of physical therapy and should not constitute most of a visit or session. However, dry needling poses little or no risk, is relatively painless, and can have beneficial effects.
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