Pain medication is used to reduce pain, but what about tissue healing and function after an injury? Dry needling, a relatively new medical treatment option, is something to consider to treat muscle, tendon and other soft tissue pains.
Dry needling is a unique procedure designed to specifically target and restore muscle function, with an emphasis on improving tissue healing and restoring normal tissue function. This is important, because continued activity with poor muscle function may lead to further tissue damage and increased pain. Dry needling is not meant to replace conventional medical procedures such as physical therapy or surgery. However, when combined with conventional treatment options, dry needling can be a powerful method to accelerate pain reduction, healing and the restoration of normal tissue function.
Dry needling is a multi-focal treatment which has shown to make dramatic improvements in: headaches, neck & lower back pain, shoulder & knee problems; just to name a few. Dry needling can also be a safe means to improve physical performance in athletes by reducing the muscular stress that accumulates in the body with repetitive exercise. Muscular stress increases the body’s energy consumption and reduces efficiency, thereby negatively affecting physical performance
Dry needling has the ability to promote biomechanical and chemical changes within the muscle without the use of drugs by targeting the body’s mechanisms of tissue healing and pain relief. It is a new, safe, and low-cost modality that is easy to administer and has no side effects if performed by a trained practitioner. It can be effective by itself but appears to work best when used with other conservative care options such as physical therapy and/or manipulations. Although it is a new approach, dry needling is built upon the general principles of modern medical science, which are familiar to and accepted by all healthcare professionals.
Practical Advice
Myofascial pain syndrome, or trigger points, can be a source of pain and limit function. Dry needling is a specialized treatment for trigger points provided by some physical therapists. It is one possible treatment option, usually combined with other techniques including exercises, to manage myofascial pain. Your therapist / chiropractor can determine if you are a good candidate for this treatment as part of a program designed to reduce your pain and improve your function