What is dry needling?
The primary aim is to relieve muscle pain and cramping, but it may also help to improve a person’s flexibility.
A practitioner inserts short, thin, stainless steel filiform needles into pressure points. Also called trigger points, these are tight areas or knots in the muscles. The needles contain no liquid, and nothing is injected.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient technique developed in China.Proponents claim that it can relieve stress, pain, and discomfort by opening up a person’s energy flow, or chi.
Medical acupuncture involves using long, thin needles to stimulate nerves in the muscles and under the skin.This can result in the production of endorphins, which may relieve some symptoms.
Do you know the difference in Dry Needling vs Acupuncture?
| Acupuncture | Dry Needling |
· Relieve pain, discomfort by placing needles in specific points along meridian lines · Balance and restoring proper flow of energy throughout the body · Needle usually left in place for 15-30 minutes · Treat internal ailments, include digestive problems, insomnia, stress and chronic pain | · Relieve tension from knots from muscle · Relieve tightness and pain in muscles · Shorter duration as needles are inserted into trigger points and elicit a response that releases the points · Treat acute and chronic pain without use of medication |
WHAT IS TRIGGER POINT?
Small area of tightly knotted muscle fibers developed when the muscle contracts and then doesn’t relax.
Benefits of dry needling
- Provide relief for muscular pain and stiffness
- Improve flexibility and increase range of motion
- Restore function and accelerate your recovery
- Often used to treat sports injuries
- Improve chronic pain conditions such as muscle pain, and even fibromyalgia
Risk
Dry needling is usually safe, further side effects are mild and very common, including:
- Bruising at or round the sites
- Bleeding at the sites
- Temporary soreness at insertion sites
Article by,
Yong Ying
Physiotherapist