People move at a rapid pace in today’s world, and with that can come a few aches and pains. If you’ve ever experienced physical pain or injury, then chances are you’ve seen an allied health practitioner, and thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom, as osteopaths have a number of techniques they can employ to address whatever pain patients struggle with. One of them is a technique you may have heard of, called Dry Needling.
But what is dry needling? Dry needling is a technique that involves the use of thin monofilament needles that are placed into tight or tender areas of painful muscles, ligaments or tendons. These areas are referred to as myofascial trigger points. By doing this, the targeted tissues can relax, decreasing pain, whilst promoting microcirculation, and this can then help induce faster healing times for injuries (Dunning et al., 2014). Put simply, dry needling is a technique that may be used to reduce pain, and decrease tension in muscles and connective tissues.
Now this may sound intimidating, especially if you are someone who is a bit hesitant going to get your annual flu shot. Rest assured, these needles are nothing like the one’s used by your doctor, in what is called Wet Needling (a hollow needle injecting a solution into tissues). They are solid, not hollow, and are much thinner than those typically used by GP’s (Dunning et al., 2014).
It should be expected however, that there may be some discomfort with the technique. Practitioners will do a thorough screen with their patients prior to using the technique, to ensure the smoothest and most comfortable experience possible, though it may still come with some tenderness. Patients’ have reported feeling a slight pinch when the needle is inserted, and others have reported dull ache around the area.
There are multiple scenarios and applications in which your osteopath may recommend dry needling. Evidence suggests that conditions like osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel, acute and chronic muscular injuries have all had positive responses to dry needling therapy (Dunning et al., 2014).
Often at the clinic we will employ dry needling to coincide with managing a wide range of conditions. If you are interested in dry needling, you can discuss this with your osteopath, and see if this is the right approach for you.
Reference:
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. https://doi.org/10.1179/108331913X13844245102034
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