Dry Needling
What Is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a therapy which involves the placement of acupuncture needles being inserted into the skin and muscle, aiming for myofascial trigger points. These points are sensitive spots in soft tissue, sometimes referred to as ‘muscle knots’. Trigger points can be tender to the touch, and when a trigger point is touched it may cause pain to appear in other parts of the body.
Dry needling is often performed as part of a larger treatment plan and tends not to be recommended alone. Therapists use dry needling with the aim of releasing trigger points, thus relieving pain and in turn improving motion range and releasing muscle tension. Dry needling may provide relief for muscular pain/stiffness. It may be used in the treatment of muscle pain, sports-related injuries, and fibromyalgia pain.
How Does Dry Needling Work?
Dry needling is a technique that targets primarily soft muscle tissue via the use of sterile stainless-steel needles. Dry needling uses very thin, short needles of 0.16 - 0.30mm thickness to pierce the skin and stimulate the muscles. This stimulation encourages the muscle, and the tension it holds, to offer a release.
Dry needling is rarely used as a singular treatment method. Instead, dry needling is often an adjunct treatment that will accompany other efforts to restore muscular function, increase mobility and reduce pain.
What Are The Benefits Of Dry Needling?
The following are some of the health benefits of dry needling, which include :-
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Relieves pain and muscle tightness
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Improves recovery speed
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Improves range of motion
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Improves chronic pain
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Enhances sport performance
