What is dry needling? Dry needling is a therapy or a treatment that healthcare providers use for treating pain and movement issues related to myofascial trigger points. With this kind of therapy or treatment, the healthcare provider inserts thin needles into or near your trigger points. That way, the needles will stimulate your muscles to contract or twitch.

 

Medical Conditions where Dry Needling Can be Used

Here are some medical conditions or problems where dry needling can help in easing or treating the pain that it causes.

 

  • Myofascial Pain

According to the BMC Primary Care, dry needling is a good therapeutic option for professional healthcare providers to help patients suffering from myofascial pain syndrome. They concluded this after a professional GP succeeded in dry needling all parts of the SF-MPQ (Short-Form McGill Pain Questionaire) and their study demonstrated improvement in acute pain 10 minutes and 1 week after dry needling.

 

  • Knee Osteoarthritis

Performing dry needling for patients with knee OA is far more effective than taking medications such as Diclofenac. Dry needling and stretching will give patients with knee OA better and more long-lasting treatment effects than taking oral diclofenac and stretching for at least six months.

 

  • Hip Abductor Strength

According to the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, if you apply trigger point dry needling (TDN) to the latent trigger points within the gluteus medius, it can remarkably increase the gluteus muscle’s force production immediately after the intervention. They can do this while reducing the level of muscle activation that is needed during contraction.

 

  • Tennis Elbow

As reported by the European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology, dry needling can be an effective and safe application for the short treatment of lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is the swelling or tearing of the tendons that bend your wrists backward away from your palms. 

 

If you happen to acquire this kind of injury because of the repetitive motion of the forearm muscles that causes excessive strain on your muscles and tendons, the easiest and fastest therapy or treatment for this is dry needling.

 

Bottomline

These are only some of the injuries that can be treated or relieved using dry needling. Since dry needling is a technique that professional physical therapists or healthcare providers use to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement issues, it is always used as a part of a larger pain management plan that includes exercise, stretching, massage, and other techniques that could help ease the pain of the patients.

 

If you love doing sports or you’re an athlete, getting injuries is a big no-no, especially since treatment for injuries can take longer. But if you choose to be treated at Ashworth Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, and Massage Therapy, we guarantee that we can help you live a better and more fulfilling life. We will provide you with the highest quality care and treat you quickly and effectively.