What is Dry Needling?
A number of our practitioners at Your Body Osteopathy have additional training in a technique called Dry Needling. Dry Needling involves the use of an acupuncture-style needle that is inserted into the ‘trigger point’ of the muscle. A trigger point is a tender spot in a tight band of muscle which causes pain when pressed or squeezed. The aim of dry needling is to achieve a local twitch response to release muscle tension and pain.
What does dry needling help with?
Dry needling can help with many musculoskeletal complaints. Our trained therapists can determine whether dry needling is suitable for you. It is a technique that works well in conjunction with Osteopathy.
Some presentations that Dry Needling can help with include (but are not limited to):
- Postural problems
- Long term (chronic) pain
- Repetitive strain injury
- Muscular sports injury
- Headache and jaw pain
Does it hurt?
The needles used are very thin, and you may or may not feel the needle enter your skin. If the target muscle is shortened and hypersensitive, you might feel a cramping or twitch sensation. Often, this is followed by a feeling of pain relief and muscle relaxation.
As with any form of treatment, there can be side effects. Some people will feel fatigue and slight muscle soreness, and sometimes there is slight bruising. These effects rarely last more than 48 hours.
How is it different to Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a traditional form of therapy that focuses on restoring the energy balance (chi) to the body via unblocking restrictions in meridians throughout the body.
Dry needling only focuses on muscular trigger points that cause restriction and/or pain. Sometimes these points overlap, but the intention of each does vary.
[Ref: Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Association LTD and Global Education of Manual Therapists]
