Are you struggling with your general mobility? Have you been suffering from recurring muscle pain? You could be dealing with trigger points causing muscle pain and stiffness. While this can often be attributed to various musculoskeletal conditions, trigger points can also be caused by repetitive stress.
A key treatment that you can opt for to find the pain relief you need is dry needling, which can easily be administered by the osteo Frankston patients use for general pain management. This post takes a look at what dry needling is, how it differs from acupuncture, and how it will benefit your overall health.
What is Dry Needling?
Simply put, dry needling is a holistic physiotherapy that involves using thin needles to penetrate the skin and the subsequent muscles. The goal here is to access the myofascial trigger points and connective tissues to relieve tension and muscle pain.
At first glance, you may be forgiven for thinking that dry needling is just another form of acupuncture. However, there are a few key differences to be aware of. For starters, acupuncture forms part of the age-old Traditional Chinese Medicine bundle, while dry needling is a Western medicine. Additionally, acupuncture uses anatomical and neurophysical principles to help stimulate the general healing response.
Dry needling, despite also using needles, combines the needle treatment with some forms of exercise and a host of other soft tissue modalities to provide relief. Dry needling is most commonly used to treat a wide variety of conditions, such as:
- Tendonitis
- Joint issues
- Chronic injuries
- Tennis elbow
- Migraines
- Sports injuries
- Reducing muscle spasms
- Restoring muscle function
- Lower back pain
Easy to See Why Dry Needling is so Popular
Anyone who has been searching for the most effective treatment for pain relief will agree that there is a plethora of medications and treatment techniques that promise to make you feel better. While some may work, they often only focus on temporary pain relief. Rather than eradicate the pain, they only dull it for a few hours.
This may leave you wondering how dry needling differs from other treatments you may have already tried. Fortunately, our experts have compiled a list of the top reasons why dry needling is better than just about every treatment you may have already tried.
1. Offers Minimal Discomfort
When you first learn that dry needling involves needles being inserted into your muscles, you may think that it’s going to be a very painful process. The good news is that the needles your osteopath uses are significantly thinner than regular sewing or medical versions.
This means you’ll experience a slight sensation that resembles a gentle prick. The overall discomfort you may experience is very minimal and can even be considered relaxing. Keep in mind that the overall goal is to ease your pain, not add to it!
2. Acts as a Natural Pain Reliever
Let’s face it. The average person doesn’t enjoy taking medication at all. Not only do they taste bad, but they could also have a range of negative side effects that can create or aggravate other medical conditions. In addition to possibly affecting your gut health, pain medication can leave you feeling groggy when you need to be alert.
With dry needling, there’s none of the irritating side effects associated with synthetic medication. Correctly inserted needles force your muscles to relax, which acts as a natural pain reliever. Depending on the issue, relief could be instant or may require a few sessions. Another huge plus is that dry needling also triggers the release of endorphins (your feel-good hormone), which helps to boost pain relief.
3. Creates Increased Blood Flow to Muscles
If you’ve been dealing with tight or painful muscles for a long time, prolonged contraction can cause the muscle bands to eventually restrict the blood flow to the general area. When this happens, tissues are prevented from getting much-needed nutrients and oxygen. Since these are both needed to encourage healing, tight muscles actually do more harm than you may realise.
Fortunately, dry needling encourages the muscle walls to relax. This, in turn, allows the muscles and tissues to widen, allowing increased blood flow to the area. Damaged tissues then receive the nourishment they need, which promotes the natural healing process as much as possible.
Severe muscle issues may benefit from more regular treatments. It may also be a good idea to speak to your osteopath for a list of techniques and exercises you can do at home to prevent your muscles from stiffening up between treatments.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re suffering from lower back pain from sitting in an office chair all day or you’re trying to cope with a more significant chronic ailment, dry needling is well worth considering. By opting for this treatment, you can look forward to positives such as increased blood flow to your muscles and natural pain relief without the side effects of medication. Finding the relief you need is as easy as scheduling an appointment with your local osteopath!
